The termination of a sole agency agreement with Design Biologix CC, a private distributor, has raised questions about the role of state entities in importing emergency supplies. On 15 January 2026, Biogénesis Bagó awarded Design Biologix exclusive rights to import and distribute the vaccine in South Africa. The following day, Design Biologix submitted an application under section 21 of the Medicines and Related Substances Act to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for authorisation. The company planned to secure six million emergency doses between February and April 2026, to be offered “at reasonable and competitive pricing”, according to its press release of 11 February 2026.
However, communications from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development indicated a preference for state-controlled channels. On 16 January, Dr Emily Mogajane informed Design Biologix that, as FMD is a state-controlled disease, Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), a state-owned entity, held the mandate to apply for import permits. Director-General Mr Ramasodi stated that the department was already engaging directly with Biogénesis Bagó, with preparations underway for a SAHPRA application through OBP—despite no agency agreement existing between OBP and the manufacturer at that time.
A meeting on 22 January 2026, attended by Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, departmental officials, and representatives of Biogénesis Bagó, proved pivotal. Design Biologix was later informed by the manufacturer that departmental representatives “made it clear that the Department preferred not to work with Design Biologix as an intermediary, and that the Department would rather procure the Bioaftogen vaccine directly from Biogenesis”. In accompanying correspondence to the termination letter dated 2 February 2026, Biogénesis Bagó confirmed it had been advised “that Design Biologix should not act as an agent or intermediary”.
Design Biologix subsequently withdrew its SAHPRA application. The company noted indications that OBP had already applied for authorisation to import the same vaccine, potentially without prior manufacturer approval. The press release emphasised inconsistency in departmental policy: “It is evident that, whilst the Department is willing to allow another designated agent and intermediary to import and distribute the Dollvet vaccine, it is, for reasons which have not been publicly disclosed, unwilling to allow Design Biologix to do so in respect of the Bioaftogen® vaccine”.
Minister Steenhuisen has faced criticism for his public statements. At the Democratic Alliance’s North-West Provincial Congress on 9 February 2026, he implied that Design Biologix had withdrawn its import application, leading to the agency’s revocation. The company’s press release rebutted this: “This is incorrect”. In prior communications, including a WhatsApp message and a spokesperson’s confirmation on 30 January, the minister had denied attempts to sideline Design Biologix and affirmed support for its application.
AfriForum, a civil-rights organisation, escalated the matter on 12 February 2026, accusing the minister and his department of favouring inefficient state processes over private-sector solutions. Lambert de Klerk, AfriForum’s manager for environmental affairs, stated: “The Minister knows that the government is ineffective and that the private sector is effective. Yet he chose the ineffective government over the private sector by having the Department of Agriculture covertly apply pressure to exclude Design Biologix from the process”.Subsequent developments suggest the department proceeded through OBP, which concluded a direct agreement with Biogénesis Bagó. Separate announcements highlighted the resumption of local FMD vaccine production at OBP, the first in over 20 years.
Prior coverage in The Cape Independent has highlighted alleged reprisals against critics, including the termination of veterinarian Dr Danie Odendaal from the ministerial FMD task team after he questioned the undermining of the Design Biologix agreement. Theo de Jager, chairman of the Southern Africa Agri Initiative, criticised Steenhuisen’s approach to the crisis, stating that “anyone who does not toe the line and speaks for livestock farmers, rather than serving party politics or the interests of senior government officials, is being fired, excluded, isolated or targeted”. De Jager, who has himself been digitally removed from official departmental photographs amid his opposition to AgriBEE policies, added that “it would have been wise for the minister to restore the trust of farmers through transparency and openness to criticism, rather than silencing voices that represent authentic farmer interests”.
We also reported on litigation triggered by the minister’s refusal to clarify the legal basis for import restrictions, and additional movement restrictions imposed by the Western Cape province to mitigate national shortcomings in FMD control.
The episode underscores the growing sense among minorities that the DA has failed South African agriculture, and highlights the level of degradation of state capacity. Farmers and feedlots continue to face economic losses from movement restrictions and export bans, while emergency vaccine supplies remain critical to containment.
Design Biologix expressed hope that the six million doses would still be procured urgently, irrespective of the intermediary. But the damage has been done, and they will likely be regarded with contempt by South African farmers for their complicity in the scheme going forward.
NS-
FMD disease epidemic has been regarded as a national crisis due to the massive economic damage it is causing, and has therefore been officially declared a national disaster. The government plans to vaccinate the country's entire cattle herd of approximately 14 million animals - The Vaccine is in the hands of the Government.
