Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp has confirmed the precautionary suspension of Onderstepoort Biological Products acting CEO Dr Jacob Modumo over allegations of serious misconduct linked to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine pricing, a move that comes amid South Africa’s largest FMD outbreak on record.
Aucamp convened an urgent meeting with the OBP Board on Friday, 4 September 2026, where he presented information on the allegations. The board gave Modumo five days to explain why he should not be suspended. Public reporting confirmed the precautionary suspension on 5 September 2026, with ENCA and other outlets continuing to report on the probe into alleged vaccine price gouging the following day.
The controversy centres on the price charged for FMD vaccines procured for the national response and paid for with public money. Onderstepoort Biological Products is a state-owned entity, meaning the Department of Agriculture was effectively paying a state company with taxpayer funds for vaccines used in the outbreak response.
On Friday, 4 September 2026, I convened an urgent meeting with the Board of OBP wherein I presented the Board with information of allegations of serious misconduct relating to the pricing of Foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccines against the Acting CEO of OBP.
That statement from Minister Aucamp, released via GroundUp, was echoed by IOL and Inside Politic, which independently confirmed the details. Aucamp stressed that the suspension was precautionary and should not be interpreted as a finding that Modumo had committed wrongdoing or misconduct.
This was not farmers being overcharged. This was the Department of Agriculture paying the State’s own company with taxpayer money.
FMD Response SA spokesperson Andrew Morphew, speaking to Farmers Review Africa, framed the issue as one of public funds flowing between government departments and a state entity. FMD Response SA issued a separate statement saying the suspension was precautionary, that no finding had been made against Modumo, and that the process must be allowed to run fairly and independently.
South Africa’s FMD outbreak escalated through early 2026 to the point that government described it as the largest in the country’s history, prompting intensified vaccination campaigns, vaccine imports, and distribution efforts. Agriculture-focused media has reported that vaccine supply and pricing remained contentious throughout the outbreak, with both the state and private sector involved in procurement.
Aucamp said the suspension should not affect ongoing FMD vaccination efforts. However, questions remain about the exact pricing figures at the centre of the allegations, with reports referencing various per-dose amounts that have not been consistently verified across multiple independent sources.
What remains unknown are the specific amounts allegedly overcharged, the total value of the contracts under scrutiny, and whether any additional officials face investigation. Cape Flats News journalist Linden Adriaan will check for updates following the expiry of Modumo’s five-day response window, expected by mid-September 2026.