Did Steenhuisen Mislead Public Over FMD Legal Reply?

Sakeliga, the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), and Free State Agriculture claim that Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen misled the public by claiming he had provided the three organisations with written reasons for prohibiting private procurement and administration of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines when, they insist, no such response was ever sent.

In a televised interview earlier this week on kykNET’s InGesprek news programme,Steenhuisen stated: “I did provide them with the reasons. They got an email back, confirming it.” He added that interpreting the relevant legislation “really doesn't require a rocket scientist”.

The comments relate to a letter of demand sent to the minister by Sakeliga, SAAI, and Free State Agriculture at the end of last month, in which the organisations argued that they could find no legal impediment in the Animal Diseases Act of 1985 or elsewhere preventing private parties from procuring and administering vaccines. Although the Department of Agriculture acknowledged receipt of the letter, the groups say neither they nor their attorneys have received any substantive reply confirming the minister’s legal position.

After Steenhuisen’s comments, the three organisations’ attorneys wrote again requesting a copy of the alleged written response and proof of dispatch. A deadline of Wednesday, 11 February, was provided. The following day, the department’s chief director for legal services replied, acknowledging that no response had yet been furnished and stating that the demand for a reply within the specified timeframe was “extremely unreasonable” and required further consideration. The department indicated it would respond by 20 February.

Sakeliga and its partners argue that the minister’s public claim to have already provided reasons is misleading and undermines accountability. They say the continued absence of a formal, legally substantiated position has left farmers and businesses uncertain of their legal standing amid the ongoing outbreak.

The organisations confirmed that their legal team is finalising a court application, citing both the lack of a formal reply and what they describe as untruthful public statements by the minister.