Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has labelled a threatened legal challenge by farmer organisations over foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine access as “unfortunate” and “short-sighted”, as tensions escalate over how the outbreak should be managed.
The warning follows a letter of demand sent to the Department of Agriculture by law firm KWV Inc on behalf of Saai, Sakeliga, Free State Agriculture and a number of farmers, accusing the state of entrenching a centralised monopsony over FMD vaccines.
The farmers argue that the department has positioned itself as the sole buyer and gatekeeper of vaccines. And it does so while failing to contain the outbreak.
Friday deadline
In the letter, the farmers give the minister until Friday to respond. They warn that failure to do so will trigger legal action aimed at forcing the state to allow private procurement and administration of vaccines.
Responding on Tuesday, Steenhuisen urged farmers to abandon litigation and instead rally behind the state’s vaccination plan.
“We urge the farming community to be wary of promises by lobby groups attempting to profit from the hardships farmers are currently enduring. These actions threaten a scientific framework designed to ensure the country wins the war against FMD once and for all,” Steenhuisen said.
He warned that court action would distract from urgent containment efforts.
“Now is not the time for distraction. What we need now is a united and full focus on dealing with the current crisis and rolling out with scale. And fast tracking our national strategy on Foot and Mouth Disease containment.”
Steenhuisen said legal challenges could be pursued later, but not in the middle of an outbreak.
“Once the immediate crisis has passed, organisations can then indulge in all manners of litigation. But in the immediate time, we must move in a unified manner. And with the speed and determination to contain the current outbreak. This is the way we will win the war against FMD,” he emphasised.
Steenhuisen’s spokesperson, Joylene van Wyk, defended the department’s approach. She outlined progress already made in securing vaccines.
Litigation could derail progress
“The state has already acquired, monitored and administered 2 million vaccines from the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) to date,” Van Wyk said.
She added that the department had begun opening the door to private-sector participation under state control.
“Additionally, the issuing of permits for private companies to import vaccines as local agents has already commenced. Import permits for the Dollvet vaccine was issued to Dunevax. And an additional import permit to import the Biogénesis Bagó vaccine is imminent,” she said.
Van Wyk warned that the threatened court action could derail this progress.
“The threatened court action could well derail the purchasing and rollout of vaccines while the Saai/Sakeliga/Free State Agriculture case moves through the court process and the department waits to obtain a clear directive from the court in this matter,” she said.
She said litigation would also drain resources from frontline disease control.
Critical resources could be diverted
“Technical responses required by officials and veterinarians within the department, to answer such court challenge, will divert critical veterinary and departmental resources away from the frontline fight against FMD,” van Wyk said.
She further rejected calls for unrestricted private vaccination.
“The department maintains that claims proposing a vaccine free-for-all is short-sighted and reckless. And it flies in the face of established international and local precedence for disease control,” Van Wyk said. She cited “the disastrous effects of unfettered access to vaccines that have been illegally imported into KwaZulu-Natal by certain farmers”.
