NSPCA
The battle over the export of live animals from the Eastern Cape to the Middle East is set to continue.
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.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape MEC for Agriculture, Nomakosa-Zana Meth, on Tuesday lauded the court ruling as a victory for the agricultural sector in the Province.
She was speaking in East London to mark the first anniversary of live animal exports from the province.
MEC Meth said given the size of the livestock population, the province should assume a pivotal position in red meat production while also earning a sizable amount in foreign exchange from livestock exports.
She said that live export was a joint initiative by government, organized agriculture and the private sector to improve and sustain livelihoods in the Eastern Cape.
Meth used the opportunity to congratulate the export company, Al Mawashi, which won a High Court order against the NSPCA with the company announcing its intention “for further take-off agreements with emerging farmers.”
Responding to the latest allegations by the NSPCA, Al Mawashi South Africa Managing Director, Ilyaas Ally, rejected the NSPCA's allegations of poor handling and cruel treatment of sheep.
"This has been a long-standing and ongoing allegation dating back to Al Mawashi’s first shipment in September. However, there has never been any evidence to support this allegation. In fact, the NSPCA failed abysmally on two occasions in the Grahamstown High Court to proof this. Furthermore, these allegations were made by NSPCA inspectors who do not hold the necessary veterinary qualifications," he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ally said the NSPCA had alleged that the animals would suffer heat stress because they were not shorn, but he said the sheep were sheared before loading, which is now complete.
He said the vessel Al Al Messilah has a capacity for 80 000 sheep but only loaded 56 000 sheep in line with the court order.
The vessel is expected to leave East London when weather conditions become favourable.
In last week’s order, acting judge Nceba Dukada, instructed the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform to “strictly monitor” the loading and transport of the sheep and to report its findings to the court in an affidavit within a day of the animals being loaded.
This was to ensure that Al Mawashi complied with World Organisation for Animal Health regulations.
Justice Dukada said he would provide reasons for his order on the 15th of September after which the NSPCA is expected to lodge its appeal.
