FF Plus welcomes Steenhuisen’s removal as Agriculture Minister

The Freedom Front (FF) Plus has welcomed the removal of the Democratic Alliance (DA)’s John Steenhuisen as Agriculture Minister, claiming he’s failed to contain foot-and-mouth disease successfully. Last week, an insensitive email response to an affected group that emanated from Steenhuisen’s private office further fuelled the outrage within the sector. Former DA leader Steenhuisen becomes first casualty of Hill-Lewis’ Cabinet reshuffle Agri group hails court ruling on private FMD vaccination, but accuses department of hoarding vaccines DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis on Wednesday announced his first Cabinet overhaul as party leader, which also includes the removal of three deputy ministers who had been appointed by Steenhuisen when the Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed two years ago. Steenhuisen is set to be replaced by the current Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Willie Aucamp. Steenhuisen has faced considerable backlash from the farming sector over the State-controlled foot-and-mouth disease vaccination programme, which has involved millions of vaccination doses being imported monthly and administered largely by State veterinarians to contain the province-wide outbreak. But Steenhuisen has been taken to court by agricultural organisations that have demanded greater access to vaccines and to be allowed to vaccinate animals outside the State-controlled programme. The FF Plus’ Wynand Boshoff believes what sank Steenhuisen in the portfolio was his seeming inability to temper the department’s centralised control over the disease response. The party said it’s now looking to Aucamp, who has a stronger agricultural background, to improve the situation. “His task will be to bring the senior officials of his department under control in order to let the private sector do its part in the campaign against foot-and-mouth disease and not to be swallowed in by the department, and not to prolong the implementation of ANC [African National Congress] policy by a minister who’s not part of the ANC.” Steenhuisen is expected to take up a deputy minister’s role in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, while the Western Cape Education MEC, David Maynier, will have to make a return to Parliament to replace Aucamp at Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment.