The South African Government has reacted angrily to reports that Saudi Arabia has banned imports of its beef on the grounds that the cattle are diseased.

Saudi media reports said the ban was imposed after the commerce department received information that South African cattle was infected with an unspecified bovine disease.

The South African Minister of Agriclture, Thoko Didiza, says he's received no official notification of a ban and was investigating the sources of what he described as irresponsible and unfounded allegations.

Mr Didiza stressed that South Africa certainly had no record of mad cow disease, which can cause the fatal human brain ailment, Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease CJD.