While the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) has announced a metro-wide livestock quarantine programme to curb Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), the municipal pound says it will not accept stray cattle without written confirmation that the metro is FMD-free.
According to the Municipality, stray livestock remain a concern in Gqeberha and surrounding areas, particularly where animals are not kept in strictly controlled environments.
The new programme aims to impound and quarantine stray livestock that may pose a risk of spreading FMD, especially to semi-commercial and subsistence farmers across the metro.
In a statement, NMBM Director for Environmental Health, Dr Patrick Nodwele, said the programme is expected to commence at the beginning of March.
“For us in environmental health, it is critical that we move swiftly to curb any spread of the disease,” he said. “Stray livestock present a serious risk, which is why it is important to implement this programme. Each and every stray animal that is impounded will undergo a quarantine period, including testing for Foot-and-Mouth Disease, before being handed back to its owner.”
Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe said the Department of Agriculture’s broader programme, which largely focuses on commercial farmers, must be strengthened at metro level.
“We had to introduce a programme that focuses on decreasing the risk, as stray livestock have the potential to spread the disease,” she said. “With the internal expertise we have, together with the appointed service provider and the State Veterinary Services, we will stretch our resources to cover the entire metro.”
However, the service provider operating the municipal pound has raised biosecurity concerns and says it is not prepared to take in high-risk animals without written confirmation that there are no active FMD cases in the area.
Busy Bee co-owner Stanley Adam said the impoundment of stray cattle, pigs and goats will not be taking place at this stage.
“My concern as a service provider, which we have raised with the Department and the Municipality, is that we cannot take in animals that could potentially have Foot-and-Mouth Disease,” Adam said. “So, the impoundment of stray animals such as cattle, pigs and goats found on the road has been delayed for now. These are the animals most commonly known to carry Foot and Mouth Disease.”
He said he had specifically asked whether there were confirmed cases in Kariega or Gqeberha and whether vaccinations were available.
“When we spoke to them, they said they did not find any case of Foot-and-Mouth Disease. But I want that in writing, to confirm it,” he said. “We simply cannot go around and take cattle in without proper assurance.”
Adam added that the safety of animals already housed at the pound remains a priority.
“We cannot take stray cattle in; the risk is high for the animals currently in our care,” he said. “We are going to ask the State Vet for a report. So, for now, we are not taking in any stray cattle.”
When contacted for clarity on whether any FMD cases have been reported in Nelson Mandela Bay, municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya had not responded by the time of publication.
