The Department of Agriculture announced late yesterday that it had reached a settlement in the court case brought by the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), Free State Agriculture, and Sakeliga over the government’s handling of the foot and mouth disease crisis.

The case sought to compel the government to allow private actors to source and administer vaccines to curb the crippling foot and mouth disease epidemic. Under the direction of the former minister, and former Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, John Steenhuisen, the government had refused to allow this and blocked every effort to enable private actors to play a leading role in the national vaccination response.

New DA leader Geordin Hil-Lewis effectively fired Steenhuisen from the government over his failure at the department, following which President Cyril Ramaphosa removed Steenhuisen from the agriculture portfolio.

The settlement, which marks a turning point in the foot and mouth disease catastrophe, therefore also represents a key early victory for Hill-Lewis, who took command of the DA only weeks ago following that party’s decision to remove Steenhuisen as leader.

Speaking after the settlement was announced, Aucamp said it reflected a shared commitment between the government and the agricultural sector to work together to the advantage of the country.

"What culminated here today was due to the hard work of role players of the private sector, the agricultural organisations, as well as the department of agriculture…that said to each other we want to get to a solution, and what we have signed here today is that solution, and everyone is happy with that agreement...but it is about much more than the agreement that has been signed, it is about the attitude with which it was signed…government, the department of agriculture, and every state organisation and entity have declared our willingness to cooperate with the private sector...there is no way that the government alone would have been able to win the fight against foot and mouth disease...we need to take hands with every single farmer, with every single agricultural organisation, every vet...and every private entity to take our hand and make it stronger for the benefit of every farmer out there."

Those are very welcome comments far beyond the realm of agriculture and set a standard and direction that the rest of the Cabinet should seek to emulate.

In areas ranging from healthcare and security to railways, ports and municipal infrastructure, South Africa possesses world-class private sector expertise and knowhow. Yet to date the government has taken far too little advantage of that expertise and has often moved with a glacial slowness in seeking to make any decisions about incorporating it. Worse, it has sometimes treated such private expertise with contempt, as was the case in the agriculture ministry until just days ago.

Aucamp has shown how quickly and decisively the government can move. This is what the whole country wants to see from the unity government – and every investor too, and if they do see it happen South Africa’s economy will be booming.

Translating the change of approach at the agriculture ministry into policy and implementation is, of course, the next step but what was announced yesterday, and the manner in which it was announced, is a very good start.