Agriculture on outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease confirmed in Free State

The Department of Agriculture hereby informs the public and stakeholders of a new outbreak of Foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Free State.

On 10 July 2025, an FMD outbreak was confirmed on a commercial farm in the Moqhaka Local Municipality, located in the Kroonstad State Veterinary area. The affected property was placed under quarantine on 8 July 2025, and immediate control measures were implemented, including surveillance and vaccination. Trace-back activities are ongoing to determine the source of the infection, while farms in the surrounding 10-km radius are undergoing surveillance to determine the possible extent of the spread.

Status of FMD outbreaks in all provinces
As of July 2025, a total of 270 FMD outbreaks have been reported across five provinces in South Africa. Of these, 249 outbreaks remain unresolved, while 21 have undergone resolution. Eastern Cape has recorded 40 outbreaks, with 38 still open and two resolved. There have been no new reported cases in Eastern Cape since September 2024. KwaZulu-Natal has been the most affected province, with 191 reported outbreaks, of which 172 remain active and 19 have been resolved. Since May 2025, Gauteng has reported 32 outbreaks, North West has four open outbreaks, while Mpumalanga has reported three outbreaks.

Correction of KwaZulu-Natal Disease Management Area notice
The department further wishes to correct an error in a Government Gazette notice that was recently published (Gazette Notice 6396 of 4 July 2025) to repeal the previous notice (Gazette Notice 5997 of 17 March 2025). The names of certain areas that still fall under the Disease Management Area (DMA) were omitted. We sincerely apologise for any confusion caused and request all stakeholders to take note of the following areas that are declared to be part of the KwaZulu-Natal DMA:

(i) The whole of the Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality;
(ii) The whole of the Mtubatuba Local Municipality;
(iii) The whole of the Nongoma Local Municipality;
(iv) The whole of the Ulundi Local Municipality;
(v) The whole of the Umhlabuyalingana Local Municipality;
(vi) The whole of the Jozini Local Municipality;
(vii) The whole of the Pongola Local Municipality;
(viii) The whole of the Abaqulusi Local Municipality;
(ix) The whole of the Umfolozi Local Municipality;
(x) The whole of the uMhlathuze Local Municipality;
(xi) The whole of the Mthonjaneni Local Municipality;
(xii) The whole of the Nqutu Local Municipality;
(xiii) The whole of the Nkandla Local Municipality;
(xiv) The whole of the uMlalazi Local Municipality;
(xv) The whole of the Mandeni Local Municipality;
(xvi) The portion of the Emadlangeni Local Municipality, south of R34 from R33;
(xvii) The portion of the Newcastle Local Municipality, south of R34 up to and east of N11;
(xviii) The portion of the Dannhauser Local Municipality east of N11 and north of R68;
(xix) The portion of the Endumeni Local Municipality, north of R68 and east of R33;
(xx) The portion of the Msinga Local Municipality, east of R33;
(xxi) The portion of the UMvoti Local Municipality, east of the R33 up to R74 and north of R74;
(xxii) The portion of the Maphumulo Local Municipality, north-east of the R74;
(xxiii) The portion of the Ndwedwe Local Municipality, east of the R74;
(xxiv) The portion of the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, north-east of R74 up to the N2 and west to the N2 up to Mandeni Local Municipality.

For further updates and verified information, please follow our official communication platforms.

For enquiries, please contact:
Mr Dipepeneneng Serage
Deputy Director-General: Agricultural Production, Biosecurity and Natural Resources Management
Cell: 060 551 5686

Ms Joylene Van Wyk
Director: Media Liaison Officer and Spokesperson: Ministry of Agriculture
Cell: 063 298 5661
Email: JoyleneV@nda.gov.za

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