The Department of Agriculture has welcomed a High Court ruling affirming its authority to manage the country’s response to Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). The judgement, handed down in the Gauteng Division of the High Court, follows an urgent application by Sakeliga and others seeking to allow private procurement and use of FMD vaccines outside the national framework.
The court did not grant the urgent relief sought by the applicants and instead postponed the matter, giving the department time to finalise and publish its vaccination scheme in line with existing legislation.
Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, said the outcome reinforces the need for a coordinated and regulated response to animal health risks.
“This matter was never simply about access to vaccines. It was about ensuring that South Africa’s response to FMD remains credible, coordinated, and compliant with the legal framework that protects both our national herd and our export markets,” he said.
Steenhuisen added that the court recognised that there were no grounds for urgent intervention that could disrupt the state’s disease control strategy.
“Our priority remains clear: to stabilise outbreaks, protect the national herd, and restore South Africa’s animal health status in line with international standards. That requires discipline, coordination, and adherence to the law, not fragmentation,” he said.
The department confirmed that a vaccination scheme is already in development following consultations with industry stakeholders and will outline a structured approach to vaccine distribution and disease control.
Photo: X/ @jsteenhuisen
