DA’s Steenhuisen to escalate foot & mouth crisis to Parliamentary level

Democratic Alliance (DA) Leader, John Steenhuisen is adamant that national intervention is necessary to manage the foot and mouth crisis in the province and intends to elevate the matter to parliamentary level.
Steenhuisen visited the city on Tuesday as part of his country wide ‘Real State of the Nation Tour’ to engage and interact with members of the public in order to listen to their daily challenges and struggles. Steenhuisen was joined by DA Limpopo Provincial Leader Jacques Smalle and DA Member on the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Noko Masipa.
The deputation also visited a livestock auctioning facility in Bela-Bela and the offices of the Moshate Tribal Council in Mogala­kwena earlier in the day and Steenhuisen was briefed on the situation with the foot and mouth disease outbreak in the province. “I am convinced that the authorities are not on top of the situation and that it will soon reach disastrous dimensions that will kill the livestock industry in the province,” Steenhuisen said and stated that he would escalate the matter to parliamentary level in an effort to secure national intervention and funding for decisive action. Steenhuisen said that the current structures in the province are unable to even roll out vacination programmes and emphasised that all stakeholders will have to play a critical part in containing and managing the crisis.
During a media briefing at the DA offices, Steenhuisen said that life was getting harder for the vast majority of South Africans – unemployment and poverty are rising, electricity and water supply is unstable and people feel unsafe in their communities. “Now is the time for bold, workable alternatives to stem this tide and help change lives for the better,” Steenhuisen said and added that the DA would forthwith focus on offering workable solutions for the challenges the public is facing.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
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