By Levy Masiteng
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has formally moved to have the rapidly escalating foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak classified as a provincial disaster, as the province confronts mounting economic losses, growing threats to food security and increasing hardship for farmers and rural communities.
Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli announced the move during a media briefing in Durban on Friday, warning that the outbreak has reached a scale that threatens the province’s agricultural backbone and the livelihoods of thousands of households.
Ntuli said KwaZulu-Natal has become the epicentre of South Africa’s FMD outbreak.
Of the province’s estimated 2.5 million head of cattle, 207 cases of the highly contagious disease have been confirmed, with 187 cases still unresolved.
“This outbreak is no longer just an animal health issue,” Ntuli said.
“It is a social and economic crisis. Food security in the province is under pressure, livelihoods are at risk, and entire value chains are being disrupted.”
He said both commercial and communal farmers have been severely affected, with knock-on effects spreading across the dairy sector, feedlots and related agricultural industries.
“The agricultural sector is a multi-billion-rand industry that employs hundreds of thousands of workers and supports more than 639,000 dependants,” Ntuli said.
“The consequences of this outbreak therefore extend beyond farms to households, communities and the provincial economy as a whole.”
Beyond the economic impact, the Premier highlighted the social and cultural toll of the outbreak, noting that many communities in KwaZulu-Natal rely on livestock for traditional, cultural and religious ceremonies.
KwaZulu-Natal plays a critical role in South Africa’s red meat and livestock economy, with extensive commercial farming operations alongside a large communal farming sector.
Livestock production underpins rural livelihoods while supplying abattoirs, retailers and export markets, making the province central to national food security.
Ntuli said provincial authorities have intensified disease-control measures, including strict movement controls, heightened surveillance, vaccination programmes where applicable, and close coordination between veterinary services, farmers and industry stakeholders.
He added that declaring the outbreak a provincial disaster would enable the province to unlock additional resources and strengthen its response.
“We are fully committed to containing the spread of foot-and-mouth disease,” Ntuli said. “Our priority is to protect jobs, safeguard the agricultural economy and ensure long-term food security for the people of KwaZulu-Natal.”
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