Question NW2789 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
08 December 2020 - NW2789
Steyn, Ms A to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
What (a) problems have been experienced by her department that have contributed to the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr M C Ramaphosa, not proclaiming a date for the commencement of the Animal Health Act, Act 7 of 2002, and (b) interventions are currently in place to resolve the specified problems?
Reply:
(a) The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has not experienced any particular problem with the commencement procedures with respect to the Animal Health Act, 2002 (Act No. 7 of 2002) which was promulgated by the President in July 2002 but not yet proclaimed.
(b) No specific interventions are required at this point. However, the Department has been working on the draft regulations and assessing appropriate cooperative governance structures and delegation of the veterinary authority. The Department continued this work over an extended period of time. However, a number of delays have been experienced and other processes such as the assessment of the Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have indicated conflicting and often limited legislative considerations. Based on these developments, the Department is currently consulting with Legal Services on how to further address the current challenges and could possibly consider repealing the Animal Health Act of 2002.