Minister Steenhuisen brings his office into disrepute

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen is bringing his office into disrepute and undermining accountability by misleading the public.

The Minister falsely stated in a live television interview that his office had provided Sakeliga, SAAI, and Free State Agriculture with a written reply to our letter of demand dated 26 January 2026, when no such reply has in fact been received.

During the live, televised interview on kykNET In Gesprek on Monday, 9 February, Minister Steenhuisen was asked by the presenter:

“Vrystaat Landbou, SAAI, and Sakeliga have asked you to provide reasons for why farmers then are not allowed to administer the doses. Why have you not provided them with those reasons?”

In reply to this question, Minister Steenhuisen stated:

“I did provide them with the reasons. They got an email back, to, confirming it.”

He then continued,

“... and it really doesn't require a rocket scientist to read through the Animal Health (sic) Act, as well as the international guidelines for vaccination programs.”

The presenter’s question refers to the letter sent by our lawyers to the Minister of Agriculture in January, in which we informed him that we could find no legal impediment – in the Animal Diseases Act of 1985 or anywhere else – to private parties procuring and administering foot-and-mouth disease vaccines.

Despite initial acknowledgement of receipt by the Department of Agriculture, neither Sakeliga, SAAI, or Free State Agriculture nor our attorneys have to date received confirmation either from the Minister or his Department as to whether the Minister agrees with us, or detailing any reasons or legal substantiation for the Minister’s prohibitions on private vaccine procurement and administration.

For the Minister to state publicly that he has provided Sakeliga and our partners with reasons, and that we have been furnished with an email to this effect, is grossly misleading. This disjuncture between public statements and official action undermines and erodes the basic trust and accountability that ought to attach to the office he holds.

Confirmation that Minister’s statement was false

On 10 February 2026, our attorneys addressed a further letter to the Minister and his Department, calling upon him to produce the alleged written response on which he relied for his public statements, duly dated and accompanied by proof of dispatch.

Given the Minister’s public assurances, and accepting that correspondence already dispatched would be readily available, our attorneys afforded him until 11 February 2026 to provide the requested proof.

On 12 February 2026, the Chief Director: Legal Services of the Department replied and acknowledged – contrary to the Minister – that no response had been provided to our original letter, stating:

“Your demand for responses from the Minister and the Department within the timeframes imposed, is extremely unreasonable given the numerous allegations and incorrect statements your clients make. A response thereto requires consideration and sufficient time.”

The Department further indicated that it would only be able to respond by 20 February 2026 – a striking claim in light of the Minister’s statement that determining the legal position “really doesn’t require a rocket scientist”, as well as the Minister’s extensive legal claims, which surely he cannot be relying on without having already obtained legal advice.

As matters stand, Sakeliga, SAAI, and Free State Agriculture are still awaiting a copy of the alleged response, which the Minister publicly and misleadingly claimed had already been provided.

Given the seriousness with which the agricultural industry regards the outbreak, the legal demands addressed to him, and the fact that his continued failure to provide a substantiated response is compelling affected parties to approach the courts, it is incumbent upon Minister Steenhuisen to furnish, without further delay, the reasons that have been formally requested and which he has publicly claimed were already provided.

Litigation progress

Sakeliga, SAAI, and Free State Agriculture’s legal team is currently finalising our court application. We are now taking into account not only the Minister’s refusal to bind himself to a version of his policy – and to legally substantiate it – but also his apparently untruthful statements.

Minister Steenhuisen's conduct is making it extremely difficult for businesses and livestock owners to assess their legal position or determine their next steps.

It is unreasonable to expect farmers and businesses to respond effectively to this disease outbreak in the context of the Minister’s ad hoc assertions, post hoc justifications, and ad hominem attacks, instead of a clearly communicated position confirmed and legally substantiated by the Minister in a formal reply to our legal letter.

The Minister’s loose public claims by now range widely, including among others:

• misrepresenting our demands for legal clarity as amounting to a “free-for-all” in which unapproved vaccines with foreign strains should supposedly be allowed;

• bluntly asserting that foot-and-mouth disease is “state-controlled” but then not explaining why farmers do procure and administer vaccines in the case of other state-controlled diseases;

• misrepresenting the requirements of the World Organisation for Animal Health; and

• arguing that vaccines are bioweapons while ignoring that other livestock vaccines are regularly privately procured and administered.

The continued withholding of reasons, which the Minister now publicly claims to have provided, constitutes a prima facie unlawful administrative failure by the Minister and his Department.