The South African government has admitted to not having been able to halt the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD) to five provinces in the Rainbow Nation.
A highly contagious disease, the FMD affects cloven-hoofed animals like cattle, deer, sheep, pigs and goats.
South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, announced that the country is contending with the outbreak of 56 cases of the FMD in Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West and Gauteng.
The outbreak notwithstanding, she insists there is no cause for alarm, as the government is working round the clock to bring the situation under control.
But then, for the situation to be controlled effectively, the government would need the corporation of stakeholders. According to the minister, it is vitally important that everyone commits and respects all imposed control measures. That way, a solution to the problem can be found easily.
The current outbreak of the FMD is said to have been caused by the illegal movement of animals from the FMD controlled zones in Limpopo to other areas. The minister called on her compatriots to stop the illegal movement of animals from the FMD controlled zone into the free zone.
A 49-year old male failed to listen and was arrested by the authorities.
