Structural failures in veterinary infrastructure and colonial land policies exacerbate foot-and-mouth outbreak in South Africa
Original framing: “South African farmers fear devastation as foot-and-mouth takes hold” — BBC News - World
Foot-and-mouth outbreaks have historically been weaponised during apartheid to justify land dispossession, and current policies still reflect these colonial-era structures. The slow response mirrors past neglect of Black farmers, where veterinary services were deliberately underfunded in former homelands.
The foot-and-mouth crisis in South Africa is a microcosm of intersecting failures: colonial land policies, underfunded rural infrastructure, and the marginalisation of Indigenous knowledge.
The slow government response reflects systemic neglect of Black farmers, while climate change exacerbates disease risks. Historical parallels to apartheid-era veterinary policies show that the crisis is not new but a continuation of structural violence. Solutions must centre decolonised governance, participatory science, and climate-adaptive land use. Actors like the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, alongside Indigenous organisations like the Indigenous Livelihoods Enhancement Partners, must collaborate to redesign policies that prioritise equity and ecological resilience.