Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has launched a transformative, multi-decade strategy to combat Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in South Africa, targeting a return to a "disease-free" status by 2036. However, as of January 2026, the country is grappling with what experts call a national disaster, with the disease reaching a "catastrophic" state across seven provinces. Thabiso Tema spoke to Johann Kotze AgriSA CEO.