The fence, a long‑standing veterinary barrier designed to prevent contact between domestic livestock and wildlife carrying foot‑and‑mouth disease, has fallen into disrepair, leaving communities exposed.
Farmers in the area say the collapse of the fence has made their cattle vulnerable, particularly as wildlife frequently moves across the river into grazing areas. Their concerns come just days after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared foot‑and‑mouth disease a national disaster in his State of the Nation Address, reflecting the severity of outbreaks in several provinces.
“Our village is situated close to the river and therefore many wild animals can get into contact with our livestock, and that scares us because our livelihoods depend on us rearing livestock,” said one farmer.
Another farmer pointed to sections where the fence no longer exists. “There was a fence that separated our area from the other area by the line, which is called the redline. You can see there is a line, but there is no fence at all, and nothing is being done. The people who used to work here at the gate are no longer here.”
Farmers say the redline system, once strictly enforced, has deteriorated due to a lack of maintenance, leaving them exposed to periodic outbreaks that can devastate herds and restrict livestock movement and trade. They are calling on government to urgently repair the fence and restore the gate staff who previously monitored animal movement.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development recently acknowledged widespread infrastructure challenges in disease‑management zones and has committed to strengthening biosecurity systems as part of the national response to foot‑and‑mouth disease.
–SABC/ChannelAfrica–
