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The confirmation of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in kudu at Addo Elephant National Park must prompt urgent provincial action to control stray livestock and strengthen biosecurity where livestock and wildlife may come into contact.
SANParks confirmed the infection following further testing of affected kudu. The source of infection, the direction of transmission, and any connection to other outbreaks remain under investigation.
The finding nevertheless raises serious concerns about protecting susceptible animals around reserve boundaries and shared grazing areas.
The DA supports the national response led by Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp. The Eastern Cape must support that effort with properly resourced veterinary teams, effective local enforcement, and vaccination that reaches commercial, communal, and small-scale livestock owners.
I have written to Eastern Cape Agriculture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe to bring municipalities, provincial conservation authorities, SANParks, and national veterinary authorities together to address these risks.
Municipalities in affected and high-risk areas must identify roaming livestock, trace their owners, and ensure safe containment.
The DA raised this concern in Inxuba Yethemba last month after FMD was confirmed at local farms. Farmers’ efforts to secure their herds can be undermined when stray animals continue moving unchecked.
Any collection, transport, or impounding must follow state veterinary instructions.
Moving potentially exposed animals into shared pounds could spread infection further. Municipalities need suitable isolation facilities and procedures that prevent animals of uncertain disease status from being mixed.
The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency must also urgently assess provincial nature reserves and strengthen controls according to veterinary advice. Priorities should include boundary fencing, surveillance of susceptible wildlife, animal-movement restrictions, and appropriate disinfection of vehicles and equipment.
Neighbouring communities and livestock owners need clear reporting contacts and practical guidance, while the provincial department must publish regular updates on testing, vaccine deployment, and containment.
SANParks has confirmed that Addo remains open and that FMD is not considered a human health risk. However, visitors must follow the Park’s biosecurity instructions.
The consequences of further spread would fall on farming families, workers, and rural businesses already under immense pressure.
The province must act urgently if we are to protect their livelihoods.