Western Provincial Government on Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccination drive

Premier Alan Winde and Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer, have stated that the roll out of doses of vaccines to combat the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in the province will be scaled up over the next several weeks.

On Friday, 20 February 2026, Premier Winde and Minister Meyer provided an update on the coordinated response to the national outbreak of FMD in the province.

So far 30 000 doses have been allocated to the Western Cape by the national Department of Agriculture. This will be scaled up over the next several weeks to more than 400 000 doses.

Other developments that were announced include:

• The draft gazette of a permitting system to better manage the movement of livestock in the Western Cape;
• Private veterinarians can now register to further bolster the province-wide vaccination drive;
• The accreditation of the Western Cape Provincial Veterinary Laboratory to assist with testing for FMD;
• The Western Cape Government Cabinet has resolved to bring in additional veterinary technicians; and
• The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has established a “War Room”, that brings numerous role players together to manage and sustain the overall containment of FMD.

These measures form part of the 21-point response plan the Western Cape Government, together with its partners in the agricultural sector, have implemented to contain the national outbreak in the province.

The 21-point plan includes:

• Movement control, including 24/7 border monitoring.
• Monitoring, surveillance, and traceability, through on-the-ground rapid response from provincial veterinary services;
• Protocols such as communication, by-law enforcement, and contingency plans; and
• Recovery involving cleaning operations and monitoring quarantine areas.

Premier Winde said, “We are fighting to protect the livelihoods of thousands of farmers, to secure jobs and the future of our agricultural exports. This is a collective responsibility, and we need every livestock owner to stand with us. Biosecurity is our first and only line of defence. Moving animals without permits or neglecting basic hygiene protocols puts the entire province and country at risk. I urge all residents to work with us to fully contain the spread of FMD: stop the illegal movement of cattle, report any signs of illness immediately, and safeguard your farm boundaries. We will continue to push for provinces to procure their own vaccines.”

The public, in particular the agriculture sector, is encouraged to use the WCDoA FMD hotline: 080 928 4102 (Press 1 for FMD).

Enquiries:
Media Liaison Officer to the Premier
Regan Thaw
Cell: 083 627 7246
E-mail: Regan.Thaw@westerncape.gov.za

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