Note to Editors: Please find attached a soundbite by Cllr Bettie Lawens
- DA demands urgent action on stray livestock in Inxuba Yethemba Municipality.
- Foot-and-Mouth Disease has been confirmed at three local farms.
- The municipality must explain why livestock are still roaming unchecked.
The Democratic Alliance has written to the Inxuba Yethemba Municipal Manager to demand urgent action regarding the control of stray livestock, following confirmation of Foot-and-Mouth Disease at three local farms.
The municipality must explain why livestock are still roaming unchecked when controlling animal movement is essential to containing this highly contagious disease. Its failure to address stray animals risks undermining efforts to protect local herds and the livelihoods that depend on them.
The State Veterinarian has confirmed that Elandsdrift Dairy, Marlow Dairy, and Elandsvallei Farm have all recently tested positive. All three properties are under quarantine, with vaccine supplies being prioritised for farms closest to the outbreaks.
Farmers are being asked to restrict movement and maintain strict biosecurity.
These precautions become harder to sustain when stray livestock can come into contact with other herds. Uncontrolled movement also makes potentially exposed animals more difficult to trace.
We have demanded an urgent operational plan detailing how the municipality will identify stray livestock, trace their owners, and ensure safe containment in coordination with the State Veterinarian.
The Municipal Manager must also account for the availability of suitable pound facilities, personnel and vehicles assigned to livestock control, and enforcement against owners who allow their animals to roam.
Residents need a clear reporting contact backed by an effective response.
Any collection, transport, or impoundment must follow veterinary instructions and disease-control restrictions. Moving potentially infected animals into a shared pound without these safeguards could make matters worse.
Livestock owners must keep their animals secure and comply with veterinary instructions. The municipality must enforce the rules and support the veterinary teams working to contain the outbreak.
Farmers and farm workers face the consequences when livestock control fails. Inxuba Yethemba must act urgently to protect their livelihoods and prevent stray animals from becoming a route for further infection.