The livestock export company, Al Mawashi South Africa, has rejected allegations by the NSPCA of cruel treatment of sheep being exported from the Eastern Cape to the Middle East.
The animal welfare organisation monitored the loading of the animals onto a vessel in East London and said it will be laying criminal charges of animal cruelty.
Last week the NSPCA lost a court bid to stop the export of live sheep.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Al Mawashi South Africa said the NSPCA has made long-standing allegations of animal cruelty, but there's been no evidence to support their claims.
Managing director, Ilyas Allie, the ship has been loaded and will set sail from East London as soon as weather conditions are favourable.
The NSPCA said it would be laying additional criminal charges with respect to the loading of thousands of live sheep and heads of cattle onto a vessel berthed in East London this week.
The animal welfare organisation said it would also be appealing a ruling in the Grahamstown High Court last week allowing the export of over 50 000 sheep by the company Al Mawashi to the Middle East.
Executive Director, Marcelle Meredith, said they have been monitoring the loading of the animals onto the Al Messilah since Sunday and have now raised several concerns.
The NSPCA claims that handlers who are employed by Al Mawashi kicked and dragged the sheep by the ears and even punched them in the face in front of their inspectors.
They further complained that the sheep were not sheared and this was a concern seeing that they were being transported to a country with high temperatures.
