There is a big difference between what KwaZulu-Natal’s municipalities should be doing versus what they are doing regarding the stray livestock problem. This is according to stakeholders in this province’s private livestock sector.
By Lloyd Phillips, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
African Farming’s recent investigations confirmed South Africa has a major problem with untended stray livestock. Multiple sources highlighted spreading diseases, facilitating stock theft and endangering motorists as key risks posed by these animals.
These sources believe many municipalities are not implementing and enforcing legislation to curb stray livestock. This often appears to be the case in KwaZulu-Natal.
“The KwaZulu-Natal Pound Act (Act 3 of 2006) mandates all local municipalities and the eThekwini Metro to establish and operate animal pounds [and] to adopt and promulgate the animal pounds bylaw,” says the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (KZN COGTA).
“There are 31 of 44 municipalities that are operating [or subcontracting] animal pounds [services], while 13 municipalities are not.”
The KZN COGTA says it has an assessments tool to monitor the functioning and enforcement of animal pound bylaws. This tool requires the province’s municipalities to submit diverse relevant information and statistics to the department on a quarterly basis.
The KZN COGTA says reasons why 13 of KwaZulu-Natal’s municipalities are not operating or subcontracting pound functions include:
- the pound function being a lower priority than other service delivery issues;
- there being a lack of funding and/or lack of land to construct and/or operate a pound or to subcontract the pound function;
- interference in the administration of animal pounds; and
- lack of awareness among community members regarding the purposes of pounds.
“The matter of consequences of stray animals because of non-operation of animal pounds and other related matters also involves other sector departments. Hence, the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS) is seized with this matter,” the KZN COGTA adds.
“Among the issues that have been identified is the lack of proper enforcement of the KwaZulu-Natal Pound Act. The JCPS Cluster is in a process of seeking a legal opinion in this regard.”
The Theory Versus The Reality
Freddie van Tonder is a former stock theft unit commander in KwaZulu-Natal, and is now a rural safety and security consultant to the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (Kwanalu) and the province’s Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (KZN RPO).
He is sceptical of some of the KZN COGTA’s responses. He says some years ago, all KwaZulu-Natal’s municipalities were each granted R1 million to establish and operate a local livestock pound.
“I can take you to municipal pounds that have only a perimeter fence and nothing else. It’s easy to fake statistics,” says Van Tonder.
“There are rumours that some municipal officials first want a backhander before subcontracting out the pound function. What’s said is being done versus what is being done are, in many cases, two very different things.”
Angus Williamson, the KZN RPO’s chairperson, agrees with Van Tonder on the latter. He adds that livestock owners cannot plead ignorance when their stray animals are impounded or cause damages or harm.
“If you own the animals, you take responsibility for them and their actions.”
Also read: FMD | ‘Stray livestock pose other, bigger risks’ – experts
An Unfair Burden on Law-abiding Livestock Owners
Dr Ariena Shepherd is the KwaZulu-Natal Animal Health Forum’s chairperson. She says many of the province’s municipal pounds lack even feed and water for the animals.
She also feels that the KwaZulu-Natal Pound Act lacks clarity on many important aspects, and that it places unfair burdens on law-abiding livestock owners when they, through no fault of their own, must deal with someone else’s stray livestock.
“For example, if stray livestock get onto private property, the property owner is required to track down the livestock’s owner and to give them written notice at least 72 hours before removing the animals to a pound. The property owner is also required to give the animals feed and water, and to otherwise look after them during this time,” says Shepherd.
“I also know of cases where stray bulls have got into farmers’ heifers and cows. What recourse do these innocent farmers have for the huge financial damage that can be caused to their operations through disease or poor genetics brought in by the stray bulls?”
