Question NW1182 to the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

Reply:

The Veterinary Services of the country is constitutionally decentralized, comprised of the national component and nine Provincial Veterinary Services.  The responsibility of policy formulation, legislation and international liaison rests with the national component, while the implementation and direct service to the clients is the responsibility of the provincial components.  The functions and services applied include the following:  

• Implementation and enforcement of the Animal Disease Act 35 of 1984, the Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act no. 40 of 2000), Animal Welfare Act, Animal Identification Act 2002 (Act 6 of 2005);
• Develop and promulgate policy, norms, standards and legislation for the prevention and control of animal diseases and to promote animal health;
• Develop policy to reduce sanitary risks in the import and export of animals and animal products;
• Ensure compliance with international animal health obligations and responsibilities.
• Monitor, evaluate and modify, as required, all legislation pertaining to animal disease control (Animal Disease Act 35 of 1984 and accompanying Regulations);
• Contribute to an efficient and comprehensive risk analysis service with regard to animal diseases;
• Initiate, analyse and facilitate specific animal disease surveillance programmes;
• Monitor and audit areas under restriction for animal disease control;
• Facilitate and audit the maintenance of disease control fences, including liaison with neighbouring countries as required;
• Facilitate, monitor and audit the control of animal disease outbreaks;
• Provide National Animal Health contact point with regard to international liaison and reporting obligations;
• Manage and maintain a database of import and export approved facilities and quantities imported and exported;
• Audit the enforcement of policy for the establishment and management of import and export approved facilities;
• Issue veterinary import permits;
• Develop, analyse and audit policy for the surveillance of animal diseases and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans;
• Develop, analyse and audit policy on disease reporting;
• Manage controlled animal disease information;
• Manage animal disease early warning system;
• Audit the policy to ensure adequate laboratory services;
• Audit the enforcement of quality systems in diagnostic veterinary laboratories;
• Audit the enforcement of policy for reference laboratories;
• Facilitate the provision of preventative veterinary activities and regulate the production of safe animal products and by-products;
• Regulate the production of safe animal products and by-products;
• Facilitate and co-ordinate animal welfare matters as well as preventative veterinary activities;
• Develop policies, norms and standards that promotes the safety of food of animal origin;
• Manage risks associated with safety of food of animal origin;
• Audit veterinary food safety hygiene assessment systems;
• Audit the certification of the safety of food of animal origin;
• Develop a Basic Animal Health Care System;
• Coordinate the community veterinary services programme to communities, through the provinces; and
• Develop and organize awareness programmes on veterinary Hygiene.