The case against Sors Snyman, an auctioneer from Polokwane, who was taken into custody in 2020 on charges of allegedly violating the Animal Diseases Act, will soon be heard in court again after a five-year hiatus.
By Alani Janeke, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
The state alleges that Snyman bought calves in an area where foot-and-mouth disease (FMD_ is endemic and illegally sold them at auction yards near Mogwadi and Vivo.
Cmdr. Jan J. Nel, biosecurity officer of the Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS), has closely monitored the case since Snyman’s first court appearance in 2020 and has consistently inquired with police and prosecution authorities about the investigation’s progress over the past five years.
He told African Farming he received confirmation on Thursday, 17 July, that the case has been placed on the court roll of the Magistrate’s Court in Mogwadi (formerly Dendron) for 1, 2 and 3 October.
The case is back in court at a time when the country is facing another severe outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, with new cases confirmed this week near Kroonstad in the Free State.
In January 2020, the national Department of Agriculture issued a statement announcing Snyman had been taken into custody after allegedly receiving cloven-hoofed animals from the foot-and-mouth disease control area and selling them at auctions to various individuals.
Snyman was granted bail of R10 000 in January 2020.
The then Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, stated at the time that Snyman’s detention followed the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Limpopo at the end of 2019, and that the Department had filed a complaint with the police. Snyman was subsequently detained for allegedly contravening the Animal Diseases Act (Act 35 of 1984).
This outbreak led to a ban on livestock auctions in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and North West on 14 November 2019. This was followed on 4 December 2019 by a nationwide ban on holding auctions and shows of cloven-hoofed animals.
Also read: FMD indaba | Red meat industry demands urgent action
Nel has 37 years of experience in agriculture, having worked in various government roles. He was the assistant director of veterinary services in the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries from 2010 and has served as Registrar of Animal Identification since 2019.
He joined the Border Management Authority, which had recently been established, in March 2023 and served as a law enforcement officer for veterinary contraventions within the Specialised Services Division.
Nel played a key role in implementing biosecurity at the country’s borders until his retirement on 31 December 202S. RMIS appointed him as a biosecurity officer in March this year.
