Latest news with #JohnSteenhuisen
Mail & Guardian
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Editorial: The GNU survives a year
There has been nothing remarkable about the government of national unity's first year in office, but the steadying of the ship has been invaluable. Photo: GCIS It was with great curiosity that we read ActionSA's GNU One Year Assessment this week. The project, a not-so-subtle rip-off of the Mail & Guardian's cabinet report cards, rated the government of national unity's key performance metrics on a scale of A to F. (As you might expect, most leaned towards the latter). These are not objective scores, of course — as you well know. Still, the marketing effort gets a passing mark for its creativity and contribution to democratic discourse. The GNU's actual performance over the past year is not neatly measurable. The uninspired leadership is easy to scrutinise. With the exception of some flickers of business optimism, the government of the last year has largely carried on the legacy of President Cyril Ramaphosa's first term. That is to say, a dispensation that strangled hopes of Ramaphoria early on. There is little immediate effect on people's lives — South Africa remains deeply divided and faces economic uncertainty. There is an argument, however, that the steadying of the ship has been invaluable. Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen is always quick to point out that his party slipped under the sheets of leadership with the ANC to prevent a doomsday scenario. Although we have been critical of such party-first rhetoric, the rivals he has warned about have done well to prove his point. It has not been a good year for the Economic Freedom Fighters. A poor electoral performance has led to discord and a subsequent hollowing-out of key members (some might say that a purge of rivals is a more appropriate framing). Their once-upon-a-time role as disruptors of a stale political system is now buried. One of those leaders, Floyd Shivambu, has occupied the headlines this week as his falling-out with the uMkhonto weSizwe party continues to play out publicly. The episode is consistent with a turbulent organisation that has failed to distinguish itself from a cult of personality. By contrast, the GNU has miraculously remained intact. The budget debacle has threatened, differing ideologies have simmered, but clear heads have always prevailed. That was desperately needed at the infamous White House meeting last month — a notable success in retrospect. The uncomfortable obsequiousness of our leaders notwithstanding, the co-ordinated message on key issues such as crime allowed South Africa to ride out its fevered moment under the international spotlight. As uncertainty grips the world, it is imperative that we continue to walk with a unified purpose. But stability will only take us so far. The GNU must now begin to think more creatively on how it will solve the country's social ills. Failure to do so will earn it an F on anybody's report card next year.
IOL News
a day ago
- Health
- IOL News
South Africa partially lifts poultry import ban from Brazil, producers rejoice
Poultry products producers and agriculture associations have welcomed the news by the Department of Agriculture to partially lift the ban on imports of poultry and poultry products from Brazil from Thursday. Image: supplied Poultry product producers and agriculture associations have welcomed the news by the Department of Agriculture that it has partially lifted the ban on imports of poultry and poultry products from Brazil from Thursday. The ban was imposed due to an outbreak of Avian flu in Brazil. The Department of Agriculture has since said that the ban has been contained to one state in Brazil. Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen announced that South Africa will partially lift the suspension on imports of all poultry and poultry products from Brazil, effective on Thursday. 'This decision follows the receipt of a second report from Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, confirming that the outbreak has been contained to a single state,' Steenhuisen said. 'However, this partial lifting remains conditional and may be revoked if the outbreak is found to have spread to other states within Brazil.' Georg Southey, the manager at Merlog Foods, said this decision was a welcome and necessary move. 'The partial lifting of the import ban will be applied to all other states of Brazil, aside from the Rio Grande do Sul region, where the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, was detected mid-May," Southey said, "The decision to partially lift this ban could not have come at a more critical time. South Africa has been losing over 100 million meals per week due to the ban, putting pressure on food affordability and security, especially as Stats SA reports that up to 30% of households in some provinces face regular hunger.' Brazil supplies 95% of South Africa's mechanically deboned meat (MDM), a key ingredient in everyday staples like polony, viennas, and sausages. Southey explained that these affordable proteins are essential to school feeding schemes and low-income families, and no other country could fill the gap. He said, "I commend the Department and the Minister of Agriculture for responding swiftly to industry concerns and for engaging constructively with Brazilian authorities to implement a regionalisation protocol. By allowing imports from unaffected areas of Brazil to resume, this decision strikes a vital balance between biosecurity and national food needs.' Arnold Prinsloo, the CEO of Eskort, too welcomed the "speedy response from the government", but said South Africa was by no means out of the woods yet. 'Although the Department of Agriculture has agreed to a partial lifting of the suspension, the process is as follows: Brazil has to send a certificate to the government, and together they need to agree on legalities and wording," he said. Prinsloo explained that once that certificate is in place, South Africa can only then place orders to Brazil. Production has stopped in Brazil, so there will be a two-week lead time on production. Then orders will take six weeks to get to South Africa, and then one to two weeks to clear customs. 'Thus there will still be an impact on consumers and business and food security at large. We do have stock in place, but many of the smaller suppliers are in trouble and will remain so,' Prinsloo said. The South African Meat Processors Association (Sampra) also welcomed the announcement, saying it will avert significant shortages of affordable protein such as polony, viennas, and braai wors on South African shelves. Gordon Nicoll, the chairperson of Sampra, said, "We are grateful for the urgency displayed by the Department of Agriculture in averting the full-scale social and humanitarian crisis which the ban imposed on 16 May threatened to unleash. 'While it will take some time for imports of MDM to reach our shores, the situation could have been significantly worse.' Francois Rossouw, the CEO of Southern African Agri Initiative, said the decision by the Department reflects a much-needed shift towards a science-based and internationally aligned approach to managing animal health risks through regionalisation. BUSINESS REPORT Visit:
IOL News
a day ago
- Health
- IOL News
How South Africa is strengthening biosecurity to tackle disease outbreaks
Agricultural Minister John Steenhuisen and UP Vice-Chancellor Professor Francis Petersen during the National Biosecurity Summit this month. Image: Supplied Major changes in how South Africa prevents and deals with outbreaks of plant and animal diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease, could be on the horizon. These include possible new biosecurity legislation, criminal prosecution of those who flout regulations and protocols, the introduction of a traceability system, and increasingly close collaboration among government, industry, academia, and civil society. These were among the longer-term solutions proposed by Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen at the National Biosecurity Summit held at the University of Pretoria (UP) this month. The event took place against the backdrop of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga, which agricultural economists predict will cost the economy dearly unless the country responds proactively. Experts suggest that long-term solutions are key, rather than merely reacting when a plant or animal disease breaks out. The broader aim of the summit was to develop a new five-year national biosecurity strategy under the theme 'Collaborative actions for food security and trade'. 'Robust biosecurity has to be practised at all times, not just during a threat or disease outbreak,' said UP Vice-Chancellor Professor Francis Petersen. Steenhuisen was, meanwhile, open to introducing more agile legislation in the form of a dedicated biosecurity act with an offence code, and proposed working with the National Prosecuting Authority, Department of Justice, and the police to enforce laws and regulations. 'Biosecurity protocols are very important, but the laxity of enforcement has often led to people treating them as optional extras rather than as mandatory,' Steenhuisen said. He also noted that a recent animal auction at Utrecht in KwaZulu-Natal had fuelled the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. 'We have taken a decision to pursue criminal charges against those individuals,' he said. His department is also going ahead with the introduction of a traceability system to monitor the movement of animals from 'farm to ship'. International markets demanded traceability, and South Africa had to move forward accordingly or risk languishing in the 'backwaters of international trade', he said. Emphasising the need for trust, transparency, and inclusivity to strengthen biosecurity in the country, Steenhuisen said it was crucial to work not only with big producers but also subsistence and small-scale farmers, including those on tribal trust and communal land. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, meanwhile, said biosecurity 'is the bedrock of anything we do in agriculture because we export about half of what we produce in this country'. He noted that the agricultural sector brings in R250 billion a year from exports, has R220 billion invested in bank loans, and employs about 1.3 million people. Sihlobo cautioned that in the current international trading environment, 'everyone is looking for anything to block your products from entering their country'. Biosecurity lapses could reinforce that trend, even for product lines not directly affected by a disease outbreak, he said. He added that non-tariff barriers will be the talk of the day in the next couple of years, and 'if you are a country that is consistently in the news about outbreaks, they will make things difficult for you.' He also warned that it is unlikely that domestic consumption can expand to compensate for any drop-off in exports of high-end products such as wine, grapes, and red meat. 'Domestic consumption levels are as good as they are going to get,' Sihlobo said, adding that it would be wrong to underestimate 'how badly the South African consumer is hurting'. Biosafety must therefore be front and centre of agricultural policy and practice, not just for animal health but also plant health, too, he said.
IOL News
a day ago
- Business
- IOL News
How resuming poultry imports from Brazil can secure South Africa's food future
South Africa partially lifted the ban on poultry imports from Brazil after containing bird flu. Image: File Meat importers and processors have welcomed the government's decision to partially lift the ban on poultry imports from Brazil, saying it will help stabilise local food production and avoid shortages of affordable protein products. The Department of Agriculture confirmed that as of Thursday, June 20, 2025, imports of poultry and poultry products from Brazil will resume, excluding the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, where a bird flu outbreak was reported in May. The South African Meat Processors Association (SAMPA) said the move would help avert major disruptions in the manufacture of staple products such as polony, viennas, and braai wors, which depend on Mechanically Deboned Meat (MDM) sourced almost entirely from Brazil. 'We are grateful for the urgency displayed by the Department of Agriculture and especially Minister John Steenhuisen, Deputy Director-General Dipeneneng Serage, and his team in averting the full-scale social and humanitarian crisis which the ban imposed on 16 May threatened to unleash,' said SAMPA chairperson Gordon Nicoll. 'While it will take some time for imports of MDM to reach our shores, the situation could have been a lot worse. We hope that this crisis will provide the blueprint for South African authorities should the remaining two poultry-producing regions of Brazil report HPAI outbreaks, so we can avoid any other breaks in supply in the future.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ South Africa does not produce MDM in any meaningful quantity. For the past 12 years, Brazil has supplied about 95% of MDM used in South African meat processing, making it an essential component in affordable processed products like russians, frozen burgers, bangers, meat pies, and corned meat. The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE) also welcomed the department's decision, calling it a necessary, science-based step to protect industry and consumers. 'We commend the government for acting swiftly and pragmatically in response to Brazil's evolving avian influenza situation,' said AMIE CEO Imameleng Mothebe. 'This regionalised approach, aligned with international best practices, is a positive step toward stabilising the poultry market and safeguarding food security for South African consumers.' According to the department, the decision to partially lift the ban followed a second official report from Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock confirming that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak had been successfully contained to a single province. 'The veterinary services of the department engaged with their Brazilian counterparts to determine the extent of the outbreak, steps taken to contain the outbreak, and whether there are any other outbreaks on other farms or in any other state,' said Minister Steenhuisen. 'Information received from the Brazilian authorities demonstrated that poultry products produced outside of the 10km radius from the outbreak are not affected and pose no health risk.' Steenhuisen added: 'We are glad that, a month after the outbreak was reported in Brazil, we have been able to assess and confirm that risks associated with the importation of poultry and poultry products from Brazil are insignificant. We are closely monitoring the situation.' While the suspension remains in place for poultry sourced from Rio Grande do Sul, the department confirmed that all other Brazilian states may resume exports to South Africa from Thursday. The government cautioned that the decision may be reversed if the virus spreads to other regions. AMIE said it would continue pushing for the formal conclusion of a new health certificate agreement between the two countries, which would allow future import bans to apply only to affected areas rather than the entire country. 'AMIE is urging government to finalise the health certificate agreement with Brazil that provides for a regionalised approach to future disease outbreaks,' said Mothebe. 'This agreement is crucial to ensure that future trade disruptions are limited only to affected regions, rather than resulting in blanket national bans.' The association said the May suspension had already triggered noticeable price increases for poultry products in recent weeks, disproportionately affecting lower-income households that rely on affordable chicken cuts and processed meats. 'South Africans have already seen poultry prices surge in recent weeks,' said Mothebe. 'We hope this decision will help ease pressure on the food basket, especially as MDM and affordable chicken cuts are vital to lower-income households and the processed meat sector.' AMIE also urged the department to consider reopening other poultry import markets, including France, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands, which remain closed despite declaring successful containment of previous HPAI outbreaks to the World Organisation for Animal Health. 'A diversified supply base is essential to building resilience in South Africa's food system,' said Mothebe. 'The reopening of safe and previously approved markets must be prioritised to avoid future disruptions and ensure ongoing supply and competition, which keeps prices in check.' The department said it will continue to monitor the situation in Brazil and assess any new health risks that may arise.
The Citizen
a day ago
- Business
- The Citizen
South Africa's biosecurity crisis: food safety vs economic fallout
Banning certain food imports can have unintended consequences on the poor and job security. With the global nature of trade, countries can be exposed to imported biological threats, especially from food. That is why it is disturbing to hear Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen's comment that South Africa allowed its biosecurity to 'slide quite dramatically'. Biosecurity is the way we prevent biological contamination or disease entering our country – and how we monitor and eradicate such issues within our borders. Radical action, such as banning certain food imports – as was done recently with chicken imports from Brazil – can have unintended consequences. In this case, the imports included vast amounts of what is known as mechanically deboned meat, used in the manufacture of polony, Viennas, Russians, braai wors, bangers, frozen burgers, meat pies and corned meat. ALSO READ: Bird flu: Government lifts ban on most chicken imports from Brazil Shortages of this affordable protein would affect poorer people and could place thousands of jobs at risk. Obviously, the country would, in theory, be safer from contamination from imported foodstuffs – but at what cost? Balancing safety with broader economic issues is what Steenhuisen and the department's experts have done in lifting the ban on imports from parts of Brazil not affected by avian flu. Effective surveillance, accompanied by pragmatism, has to be our watchword when it comes to biosecurity. NOW READ: Bird flu: worry not, it is safe to eat eggs and chicken
