RUNDU – The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry reminded importers and the public over the weekend that the suspension of import and in-transit movement of cloven-hoofed animals from South Africa is still in force.
Import of animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, antelopes and - their products – from South Africa is suspended
due to the outbreak of foot-andmouth disease (FMD) in that country.
“The suspension remains in force and all previously issued import and in-transit permits are hereby cancelled,” said the
ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Margaret Kalo, on Friday. According to Kalo, the purpose of this third notification
is to provide a review on which animal products, baled forage and silage may be imported following consultation with
the South African veterinary authorities for the benefit of the importers and the public.
“The ministry’s the Directorate of Veterinary Services will accept fresh/frozen pork from bio-secure pig compartments
approved by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) from all provinces excluding Limpopo,
Mpumalanga and KwaZulu- Natal provinces,” she said. “The Directorate of Veterinary Services will also accept raw
meat produced before the 5th of December 2018 on condition that the commodity was kept separate to avoid
c r o s s co nt ami n a t i o n under supervision of DAFF,” she added.
Baled forage and silage originating from all the provinces, excluding Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-
Natal provinces, will also be accepted. “The baled forage and silage must come from establishments that are fenced off
and where there are no clovenhoofed animals,” she added. FMD was recently detected in the Vhembe District, Limpopo
Province in the FMD-free zone of South Africa and was reported to the World Health Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on
January 7, 2019. As a result of this development, the official OIE recognised FMD-free status of South Africa is temporarily
suspended. Consequently, any exports from South Africa where FMD-free zone attestation is required cannot be certified.
FMD is not re adi ly transmissible to humans and is not a public health risk.