The continued presence of African citrus greening within several wards of Nelson Mandela Bay has become a growing concern for growers and residents across the Metro. A year after the initial detection, communities remain anxious about the possibility of the disease spreading beyond the urban buffer zone and into the commercial citrus regions that sustain thousands of livelihoods.
The risk of the outbreak spreading poses a real threat to communities bordering the Sundays River Valley, where even a limited outbreak would threaten jobs, household incomes, and the long-term stability of one of the Eastern Cape’s most productive agricultural sectors.
The Democratic Alliance believes it is essential to ensure that the national response remains aligned, coordinated, and supported across all levels of government.
I have therefore written to the Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, to request guidance and to ask for intervention to reinforce prevention measures at the metropolitan boundary and to protect neighbouring districts from any outward spread of the disease.
The African strain of citrus greening was detected in residential areas of Gqeberha in October last year. Subsequently, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development launched an official delimiting survey to determine the extent of the disease’s spread, with inspectors from the Department and Citrus Research International deployed throughout affected wards.
Citrus greening is a regulated pest under Control Measures R.110 of the Agricultural Pests Act of 1983, and the movement of propagation material from infested to non-infested areas in the Eastern Cape is prohibited. To date, wards 1 to 15, 32, and 39 of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro have been identified as infested, placing the Metro in a controlled buffer zone.
The effectiveness of national programmes depends on how well they are reinforced. For communities surrounding the Metro, there must be clarity on whether the buffer zone requires adjustment, whether ward-level monitoring remains adequate, and whether growers in the surrounding regions are receiving the technical guidance needed for early detection.
Many residents still do not know what symptoms to look for, what movement restrictions apply, or how to report a suspected case. Strengthened cooperation between provincial and municipal officials is essential to ensure that the national programme delivers maximum protection.
These actions are vital. The citrus industry supports families, farmworkers, small businesses, and entire rural towns. A clear, well-coordinated plan can provide certainty for residents who rely on agriculture for stability and opportunity.
The DA remains committed to an intergovernmental partnership with national, provincial and local authorities, as well as key stakeholders, to protect the agricultural economy of the Eastern Cape.