Staff Reporter
The uMngeni Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal has introduced property rates rebates for farmers affected by the country’s foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mooi-uMngeni said on Monday that although municipalities had no direct mandate to manage animal disease outbreaks, they could support local economies.
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The party welcomed the initiative by uMngeni mayor Chris Pappas and his team.
The latest outbreak started in early 2025 and has spread to seven of nine provinces, battering farmers and exports.
China, previously the country’s third-biggest beef export market, banned South African red-meat imports in May. Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Namibia have imposed their own bans. The financial loss has been estimated at over R5.6 billion.
uMngeni has also rolled out measures aimed at supporting disease control and enforcement, the DA said.
These included restriction
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