IN CONVERSATION WITH DR E MACHEDI
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has intercepted a major consignment of illegally imported veterinary medicines (“Berenil”) at Polokwane International Airport. According to the BMA Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato, the shipment — weighing approximately 84 kilograms and transported in two polystyrene boxes — arrived from Kenya and Tanzania on 26 November 2025 and was reportedly headed for Pietermaritzburg.
The medicines were refused entry immediately because they had no import permits, as required by Section 6 of the Animal Diseases Act 35 of 1984. After consultation with the Department of Agriculture, the consignment was confiscated and sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute – Transboundary Animal Diseases Laboratory (OVI-TAD) for analysis.
This interception comes at a critical time for the country. South Africa is currently dealing with a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, and illegal veterinary imports pose severe biosecurity risks. FMD is a highly contagious transboundary animal disease that affects cattle, pigs, goats, and other cloven-hoofed livestock. Beyond animal mortality, FMD disrupts local and regional livestock production, harms farmers, and restricts international trade — leading to massive economic losses.
There are seven FMD viral serotypes globally (A, O, C, SAT1, SAT2, SAT3, Asia1), and vaccines must be serotype-specific. Introducing a foreign or unapproved serotype into South Africa could undermine current national control measures and reverse years of disease-management progress.
The Department of Agriculture strictly controls the use of FMD vaccines. Only state-procured vaccines — sourced legally from the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) — may be used in South Africa. Any untested or unapproved vaccines can be harmful to livestock, compromise disease-control efforts, and endanger export markets.
The BMA has increased surveillance at ports of entry under Operation HI-TIVISE, aimed at preventing illegal biological products, vaccines, and veterinary medicines from entering the country. The authority warns that smuggling such products is a serious violation of national biosecurity laws and could have long-term consequences for farmers and the agricultural economy.
The public is encouraged to report suspicious activity or smuggling attempts to the BMA hotline.
The medicines were refused entry immediately because they had no import permits, as required by Section 6 of the Animal Diseases Act 35 of 1984. After consultation with the Department of Agriculture, the consignment was confiscated and sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute – Transboundary Animal Diseases Laboratory (OVI-TAD) for analysis.
This interception comes at a critical time for the country. South Africa is currently dealing with a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, and illegal veterinary imports pose severe biosecurity risks. FMD is a highly contagious transboundary animal disease that affects cattle, pigs, goats, and other cloven-hoofed livestock. Beyond animal mortality, FMD disrupts local and regional livestock production, harms farmers, and restricts international trade — leading to massive economic losses.
There are seven FMD viral serotypes globally (A, O, C, SAT1, SAT2, SAT3, Asia1), and vaccines must be serotype-specific. Introducing a foreign or unapproved serotype into South Africa could undermine current national control measures and reverse years of disease-management progress.
The Department of Agriculture strictly controls the use of FMD vaccines. Only state-procured vaccines — sourced legally from the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) — may be used in South Africa. Any untested or unapproved vaccines can be harmful to livestock, compromise disease-control efforts, and endanger export markets.
The BMA has increased surveillance at ports of entry under Operation HI-TIVISE, aimed at preventing illegal biological products, vaccines, and veterinary medicines from entering the country. The authority warns that smuggling such products is a serious violation of national biosecurity laws and could have long-term consequences for farmers and the agricultural economy.
The public is encouraged to report suspicious activity or smuggling attempts to the BMA hotline.
