Saai, together with Free State Agriculture and Sakeliga, has launched an urgent application in the Pretoria High Court for an interim interdict against the Minister of Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture, and the Director of Animal Health, pending a review application in which the lawfulness of the Minister’s decisions regarding Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine measures will be challenged.
Saai and its co-applicants intend to have the Minister’s decisions and conduct relating to the FMD vaccine formally reviewed and set aside on the grounds that they are unlawful, irrational, and unconstitutional. Pending these review proceedings, urgent interim protection is sought from the court to prevent further and irreparable harm.
At the heart of the dispute is that the Minister is currently applying measures that effectively prevent farmers and the private sector from helping to manage the FMD crisis in parallel with the state. This draconian approach includes obstructing private vaccine imports, interfering in existing commercial import and supply relationships, and effectively prohibiting farmers from having their own animals vaccinated.
These restrictions apply despite the Minister’s acknowledgement that the disease is out of control, the declaration of a national disaster, and severe capacity constraints within the state.
“We are in the middle of a financial disaster. Farmers are simply asking not to be prevented from protecting their own animals and their right to make a living. When state capacity is limited, it cannot be constitutionally justifiable to block private capacity,” said Francois Rossouw, Chief Executive Officer of Saai.
The interim interdict now sought would prevent the Minister and relevant officials, pending the final review of the matter, from unreasonably interfering with (1) farmers who are willing and able to lawfully obtain the FMD vaccine themselves and administer it to their own herds, and (2) lawful private import, distribution, and supply arrangements relating to the FMD vaccine.
According to Dr Theo de Jager, Chairperson of the Saai Board: “To prohibit farmers from acting in parallel with the state against Foot-and-Mouth Disease while losses are escalating is not only economically damaging — it is legally untenable. This case is about farmers’ right to act for themselves and to prevent further devastation of their herds and livelihoods.” The court is now being asked to urgently provide legal certainty before further irreparable harm occurs.
DRINGENDE HOFAANSOEK TEEN DRAKONIESE BEPERKINGE OP BOERE SE VERMOË OM BKS TE BESTRY
Saai het saam met Vrystaat Landbou en Sakeliga ’n dringende aansoek in die Hooggeregshof Pretoria gebring vir ’n tussentydse interdik teen die Minister van Landbou, die Departement van Landbou en die Direkteur van Dieregesondheid, hangende ‘n hersieningsaansoek waarin die wettigheid van die Minister se besluite ten opsigte van bek-en-klouseer (BKS) maatreëls rondom entstof aangeval sal word.
Saai en sy mede-applikante beoog om die Minister se besluite en optrede met betrekking tot die BKS-entstof formeel te laat hersien en tersyde te stel op grond daarvan dat dit onwettig, irrasioneel en ongrondwetlik is. Hangende hierdie hersieningsverrigtinge word dringende tussentydse beskerming van die hof versoek om verdere en onherstelbare skade te voorkom.
Die kern van die dispuut is dat die Minister tans maatreëls toepas wat effektief verhoed dat boere en die privaatsektor parallel met die staat die BKS-krisis kan help bestuur. Hierdie drakoniese benadering sluit in die belemmering van private entstofinvoer, inmenging in bestaande kommersiële invoer- en verskaffingsverhoudinge, en die effektiewe verbod op boere om self hul eie diere te laat inent.
Hierdie beperkings geld te midde van ’n erkennings deur die Minister dat die siekte buite beheer is, die verklaring van ‘n nasionale ramp en ernstige kapasiteitsbeperkings binne die staat.
“Ons staan midde-in ’n finansiële ramp. Boere vra bloot om nie verhinder te word om hul eie diere en hul bestaansreg te beskerm nie. Wanneer staatskapasiteit beperk is, kan dit nie grondwetlik regverdigbaar wees om private kapasiteit te blokkeer nie.” volgens Francois Rossouw, Hoofuitvoerende Beampte van Saai.
Die tussentydse interdik wat nou versoek word, sal verhoed dat die Minister en relevante amptenare, hangende die finale hersiening van die saak, onredelik inmeng met (1) boere wat bereid en in staat is om die BKS-entstof self wettig te bekom en aan hul eie kuddes toe te dien, en (2) wettige private invoer-, verspreidings- en voorsieningsreëlings ten aansien van BKS entstof.
Volgens dr. Theo de Jager, Direksievoorsitter van Saai: “Om boere te verbied om parallel met die staat teen bek-en-klouseer op te tree, terwyl verliese eskaleer, is nie net ekonomies skadelik nie – dit is regtens onhoudbaar. Hierdie saak gaan oor boere se reg om self op te tree en verdere verwoesting van hul kuddes en bestaansmiddels te keer.” Die hof word nou gevra om dringend regsekerheid te bring voordat verdere onherstelbare skade plaasvind.
