Minister John Steenhuisen has lifted Foot and Mouth Disease restrictions in Eastern Cape and Limpopo following successful containment efforts.
In the Eastern Cape, Kouga and Kou-Kamma municipalities had been under disease management area (DMA) restrictions since July 2024. Veterinary Services conducted over 144,000 vaccinations and implemented extensive surveillance, with no new cases reported since September 2024. Movement restrictions in these areas have now been lifted. However, 76 affected or vaccinated farms remain under quarantine, pending follow-up testing a year after vaccination.
In Limpopo, the Vhembe DMA was declared in 2022. Veterinary teams carried out two rounds of vaccinations across 34 diptanks, amounting to over 23,000 doses. With no further evidence of viral presence found during late 2024 surveillance, all restrictions in the province have now been removed.
The lifting of these restrictions is effective immediately, as published in the Government Gazette.
Minister Steenhuisen stressed the importance of ongoing vigilance: “Biosecurity is not just a farming concern, but a shared responsibility of every individual in South Africa.”
While restrictions ease in two provinces, KwaZulu-Natal remains under strict control due to ongoing virus circulation. Certain outbreaks have occurred outside designated zones, and a Vryheid-based abattoir has been assigned to handle animals from affected premises.
The department has also revised milk safety protocols for quarantined farms in the Eastern Cape. Milk may now be sold to local markets after undergoing single pasteurisation.
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