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The Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has announced the arrival of two million doses of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine in South Africa, marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to control the spread of the disease.

The vaccines, sourced from Dollvet in Turkey, represent the first tranche of a six million doses order secured through local agents Dunevax. Distribution to provinces is expected to begin within the next few days.

Building on this progress, the Minister said an order for an additional five million doses from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina has been placed with Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP).

He said the consignment of vaccines will arrive in the country in two batches, 3.5 million and 1.5 million doses, pending approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) under a Section 21 application.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Steenhuisen said the department has secured all matched vaccines currently available on the international market to ensure access to a steady supply.

“We will push forward to make sure that we achieve our goal – vaccinate the national herd to achieve World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH) recognition of FMD-free status with vaccination. This will allow us to access international markets for South African red meat that have been closed for decades due to FMD,” Steenhuisen said.

Strategic vaccine allocation

In order to effectively manage the vaccine rollout, the Minister said the Department of Agriculture is implementing a scientific, targeted allocation strategy based on animal risk and population figures.

Under this approach, the latest batch of vaccines will be distributed as follows: 
The Eastern Cape has been allocated 135 400 doses; Free State 182 400 doses; Gauteng 124 800 doses; KwaZulu Natal 192 000 doses; Mpumalanga 144 000 doses; North West 182 400 doses; Western Cape 150 000 doses; Northern Cape 100 000 doses; and Limpopo 150 000 doses.

Additional allocations have been set aside for key agricultural sectors to ensure the continuity of our food supply chain, including 100 000 doses for the dairy industry, 150 000 for feedlots, and 150 000 for the pig industry. A further 239 000 doses will be reserved for immediate emergency deployment where required.

The Minister said strengthened surveillance and faster reporting systems, which allows the department to capture data from provinces more quickly, are critical to these efforts.

“We continue to work closely with the private sector and industry bodies to ensure that our vaccination drive remains efficient and reaches every corner of our country,” Steenhuisen said.

Since February 2026, South Africa has received four million FMD vaccine doses, including 2.5 million from Biogénesis Bagó and 1.5 million from Dollvet. 

This is in addition to the 2 million vaccine doses imported in the last quarter of 2025. This has ensured the vaccination of more than 2.1 million animals nationwide.

On 10 April 2026, Minister Steenhuisen officially announced the intention to publish the Routine Vaccination Scheme for Foot and Mouth Disease (RVS-FMD) under Section 10 of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984).

The department said the deadline for comments was 17 April 2026, and the submissions that have been received are currently being evaluated and consolidated, following which the final scheme will be published.

Global context

FMD outbreaks remain a global concern and are not unique to South Africa. Recent cases have been reported in parts of Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region, including in Greece, China, Cyprus, Israel, and most recently Germany.

The SAT1 topotype 3 strain currently affecting South Africa has also been detected in several countries, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, and Syria between late 2025 and early 2026. – SAnews.gov.za
 

His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has reaffirmed the importance of credible, transparent, and peaceful elections as a cornerstone of constitutional democracy and societal stability.

The King received a high-level delegation from the Electoral Commission at his Private Office at Emashobeni Royal Palace in Pongola on Tuesday.

The meeting formed part of the Commission’s national stakeholder consultation programme ahead of the upcoming Local Government Elections.

Zulu Kingdom spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu said the engagement served as an important platform to explore constructive and collaborative approaches to strengthening trust in democratic processes.

“The delegation presented His Majesty with a comprehensive briefing on the state of readiness for the elections, including key timelines, operational preparedness, and ongoing voter education initiatives aimed at ensuring free, fair, and credible polls,” Zulu said.

He added that discussions also reflected on recent findings highlighting challenges related to public confidence in governance institutions in KwaZulu-Natal.

The King emphasised the critical role of traditional leadership in fostering social cohesion, civic responsibility, and active participation in democratic processes, particularly at community level.

He further expressed his full support for the work of the Commission and encouraged all eligible citizens, especially the youth, to register and participate in the upcoming elections in a peaceful and responsible manner.

The Private Office of His Majesty welcomed the Commission’s recognition of the role of traditional leaders in advancing voter education and participation, particularly in rural communities, and underscored the importance of sustained cooperation in this regard.

Both parties reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting peaceful elections, strengthening democratic participation, and working collaboratively to enhance public confidence in the electoral process. 

The Commissioners of the Electoral Commission, led by Chairperson Mosotho Moepya will on Friday, 24 April 2026, brief members of the media on the conclusion of a week-long stakeholder engagement programme in KwaZulu-Natal.

The briefing to be held in Durban, will present the key outcomes of the engagements, consider the implications of the Voter Participation Survey for the province, and provide an update on the province’s state of readiness for the 2026/27 municipal elections.

The briefing will also provide a comprehensive account of the key issues raised by stakeholders, outline the Commission’s planned interventions to mitigate identified risks, and reaffirm its constitutional mandate to deliver free, fair, and credible municipal elections. – SAnews.gov.za

As South Africa experiences more frequent extreme weather events, government has launched a national initiative to strengthen climate-responsive development across municipalities.

Municipalities play a critical role in addressing climate change through service delivery, infrastructure development and community engagement. 

However, many local authorities continue to face capacity, coordination and resource constraints that limit their ability to effectively plan and implement climate responses.

“South Africa has made significant progress in developing robust climate policy frameworks. However, the true test of our success lies not in the policies we adopt, but in the impact we deliver on the ground – particularly within municipalities, where citizens experience the realities of climate change most directly,” Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Narend Singh said on Tuesday in Pretoria.

He was speaking at the launch of the Climate Action Planning (CAP) Support Project, an initiative of the South African Local Government Association in partnership with the African Climate Foundation.

The project was initially piloted and is still ongoing at nine district municipalities. 

It is designed to provide focused technical and institutional support to all 44 district municipalities in the country, to review, strengthen, and implement Climate Action Plans in line with the Climate Change Act, national climate policy, and South Africa’s Just Energy Transition and developmental priorities.

The launch expands the intervention to 35 remaining district municipalities.

“The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is actively advancing the implementation of the Climate Change Act, Act 22 of 2024.

“We have embarked on the process of developing the National Climate Change Adaptation Scenarios to provide South Africa with the scientific basis upon which we frame our adaptation responses. 

“These scenarios will be consulted upon to ensure that we collect inputs across our stakeholders, ensuring that they reflect the realities faced by communities across urban, rural, and coastal environments,” the Deputy Minister said.

The department has also developed technical guidelines to support different spheres of society to undertake their adaptation needs and response assessments, as well as corresponding climate change response plans required by the Act. 

These guidelines are intended to ensure consistency, improve planning quality, and support municipalities in meeting their legislative obligations.

Beyond introducing the project, the launch established a platform for stakeholder alignment, partnership mobilisation and resource coordination, reinforcing municipalities’ role as key implementers of South Africa’s climate response. 

The initiative also positions SALGA as a leading champion of climate-responsive local governance and collaborative action across sectors. –SAnews.gov.za

Suspended police official Sergeant Fannie Ezekiel Nkosi has been denied bail in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court.

In January, Nkosi was identified as a possible wrongdoer by the Madlanga Commission’s first interim report and was arrested this month following a raid at his home.

“It is alleged that police officials attached to a task team emanating from the Madlanga Commission acted on information regarding the unlawful possession of ammunition at the accused’s residence.

“On 02 April 2026, the task team executed a search warrant at Nkosi’s home in Pretoria North. During the search, police discovered firearms, ammunition, a stun grenade, South African Police Service dockets, and other state-issued items at various locations on the premises.

“A substantial amount of cash, exceeding R50 000, was also found concealed beneath a mattress. The accused was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for the origin of the money. He was subsequently arrested,” the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statement.

The prosecutorial body – which opposed Nkosi’s bail application – welcomed the decision of the court.

“The court found that the accused failed to discharge the onus resting upon him to satisfy the court that the interests of justice permit his release on bail.

“Nkosi faces multiple charges, including unlawful possession of explosives; three counts of failure to safeguard firearms; eight counts of failure to safeguard ammunition; defeating the administration of justice; failure to mount a stand up safe as per the SABS 953-1/2, theft and money laundering.

“In opposing bail, the State, led by Advocate Tholoana Sekhoyana, placed on record the affidavit of the Investigating Officer, Sergeant Thembekile Mathwa. The affidavit indicated that the accused poses a flight risk, may evade trial, and is likely to interfere with witnesses and ongoing investigations, particularly given his knowledge of police processes,” the statement read.

The case has been postponed to 21 May 2026 for further investigations. – SAnews.gov.za

The Department of Home Affairs has expressed concern over unfounded media reports and social media posts suggesting that nationals of Lesotho will no longer be required to present valid passports when entering South Africa.

The department has dismissed these claims as false, emphasising that citizens of the Kingdom of Lesotho are still required to present valid passports when entering the Republic and cannot use only their national identity cards for travel.

“No such agreement has been reached between the Republic of South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho,” the Department of Home Affairs said in a statement.

“Allowing entry without a valid passport would violate South Africa’s laws. Specifically, such an act would contravene section 9 of the Immigration Act of 2002, which stipulates that no person shall enter or depart from the Republic unless they have a valid passport,” the department said.

Home Affairs Ministers of Lesotho and South Africa met in Cape Town on 17 April 2026, to receive a study report from a joint task team that was established to look at the development of a new migration model. 

The Ministers were directed by the Bi-National Commission between the two countries to undertake the study. 

This was the first time that the outcome of the study was presented to the Ministers with various recommendations which are to be considered by the Bi-National Commission.

“For any such change to even be considered, a legislative process involving Parliament would be required to amend existing immigration laws. No such process is currently underway.

“The status quo remains. All Lesotho nationals and South African citizens must continue to present valid passports for all entry and exit purposes at our shared ports of entry. The department urges the public to desist from spreading this misinformation,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za

Following a fire incident at the retail shop at Lower Sabie rest camp in the Kruger National Park, guests with bookings at the campsite should stock up on supplies before arrival.

“Accommodation has not been affected, with the camp fully booked for the upcoming two long weekends, 27 April and 1 May 2026. Activities such as guided game drives and walks are continuing as normal,” the South African National Parks (SANParks) said on Tuesday.

Although the restaurant did not suffer any fire damage, it will remain closed due to the power cuts affected by the fire. 

A temporary retail, food and beverage services will be implemented as soon as possible.

“SANParks urges guests at the camp to stay clear of the affected area for safety reasons.”

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of Tuesday’s fire. –SAnews.gov.za