Question NW2909 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
21 December 2020 - NW2909
Steyn, Ms A to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
(1)What specific interventions has her department, in collaboration with The Presidency, put in place to resolve the problems standing in the way of the proclamation of commencement of the Animal Health Act, Act No 7 of 2002; (2) whether she will furnish Mrs A Steyn with a list of all interventions spanning the period since the date of assent on 24 July 2002; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. The Presidency has not yet been approached to proclaim the Animal Health Act, Act 7 of 2002.
2. 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.