A settlement was reached following a farming sector legal case to allow farmers to privately vaccinate against Foot and Mouth Disease; this was according to Minister of Agriculture, Willie Aucamp
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A settlement was reached with farming sector representative organisations following legal action to allow farmers to privately vaccinate against Foot and Mouth Disease; this was according to Minister of Agriculture, Willie Aucamp.
Aucamp said that the settlement came after lengthy negotiations regarding the management of the FMD outbreak. “The negotiations took place with the three applicants in the case namely: Sakeliga, South African Agri Initiative (SAAI), and Free State Agriculture, as well as with other respondents on Thursday, 9 July 2026 in Pretoria.”
Aucamp added that the settlement is a huge step in the right direction for the stability of the country’s agricultural sector. “Today’s settlement is not only a win for the parties involved in the case but is a win for all South African farmers as this sector contributes significantly to the country’s job creation efforts and GDP.”
Aucamp said that the main tenet of the settlement is that the owners and managers of cloven-hooved livestock may perform voluntary vaccination of their livestock against FMD in line with certain biosecurity, legal prescripts, and conditions, including traceability and reporting.
“This settlement is indicative of the government's willingness to work with the private sector as the government cannot do this alone; as such, we will continue to collaborate with all industry and private sector role players in the control of the FMD outbreak,” added Aucamp.
Aucamp said that they now need to enable the private sector to import at scale and it is for this reason that the Department and Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) have expressly relinquished sole rights to the import and/or distribution of FMD vaccines.
“The applicants also expressed their appreciation for the successful conclusion of this matter and committed to continuing working with the Department in tackling the FMD crisis.”
Aucamp added that he thanked all the litigants for their positive spirits and solutions-driven approach to the negotiations, further highlighting that this milestone is only the first step. “The main priority will now be the efficient roll out of these solutions.”
Jan de Villiers, Democratic Alliance National Spokesperson, said that the announcement by Minister Aucamp that the government will end complete state control over vaccine imports and distribution will open the door for private entities and farmers to procure and vaccinate their cattle is a gamechanger.
“The Department of Agriculture, under Minister Aucamp, and OBP have expressly relinquished sole rights to the import and/or distribution of FMD vaccines.”
De Villiers added that owners and managers of cloven-hooved livestock may now voluntarily vaccinate their livestock against FMD.
“But they must comply with biosecurity rules, traceability, and reporting. The DA commends and welcomes the agreement reached by the Department of Agriculture with SAAI, Sakeliga, and Free State Agriculture, which will open up the procurement and distribution of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines privately.”
De Villiers said that the agreement between the Minister of Agriculture, Willie Aucamp, SAAI Chairperson, Theo de Jager, Free State Agriculture President, Francois Wilken, and Chief Executive Officer of Sakeliga, Piet le Roux, is a big step toward eradicating FMD.
“This agreement opens up the market and gives private entities the right to import and distribute vaccines and brings to a close previous litigation. The DA calls on private sector role players to now import these vaccines at scale. Minister Willie Aucamp’s urgency, after only one week in office, has shown his clear intention to prioritise the needs of the farmers of South Africa.”
Piet le Roux, CEO of Sakeliga, said that they believe this is a good settlement to legal proceedings. “The purpose of the legal proceedings was to allow farmers to obtain vaccines and administer vaccines and this has been achieved by an agreement. We wish to thank all the parties involved in this agreement and we wish farmers well as they continue to manage the fight against FMD.”
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