Mapaballo Borotho
- BMA officials intercepted an aircraft from Kenya and Tanzania carrying illegal veterinary medicines at Polokwane Airport.
- The consignment lacked required import permits and has been sent for further analysis.
- Authorities warn that smuggling animal medicines poses serious risks, especially amid the ongoing Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) officials have intercepted an aircraft travelling from Kenya and Tanzania carrying illegal veterinary medicines into the Polokwane Airport last week.
This was confirmed by the Commissioner of the BMA, Michael Masiapato, on Monday afternoon, 01 December 2025.
“The veterinary medicines (‘Berenil’) in two (2) polystyrene boxes weighing about eighty-four (84) kilograms were allegedly transited through the Polokwane International Airport to Pietermaritzburg Airport. The consignment was initially refused entry as it did not have the requisite import permits as provided for in Section 6 of the Animal Diseases Act 35 of 1984,” said Masiapato.
Masiapato says the product has since been taken to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute Transboundary Animal Diseases Laboratory (OVI-TAD) for further analysis.
He further highlighted that the BMA is fully aware of the current Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak that the country is grappling with.
Foot and Mouth Disease is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock that has a significant economic impact.
The disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants.
“Farmers are advised to contact their local State Veterinarian if there is a suspicion of the disease in their animals. The use of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine is a state-controlled activity, and it is prohibited to use any other vaccine for FMD outbreak control other than the legally procured vaccines,” Masiapato added.
Smuggling animal medicines and vaccines into the country remains a serious breach of South Africa’s veterinary and biosecurity regulations.
READ NEXT: SAHRC uncovers widespread racial bias in Hartbeespoort Dam land allocation
The post Aircraft carrying illegal animal medicine intercepted in Polokwane appeared first on KAYA 959.
