Publications
Partners
EASTERN CAPE premier, Oscar Mabuyane, and the National Council of Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) have given opposing views over the recent shipment of 56 000 sheep, 1 500 cattle and 200 goats, from the Port of East London to Kuwait.
Mabuyane, who personally witnessed the loading of the animals on the Kuwait-bound Al Messilah ship from the Port of East London on April 3, described the occasion as a huge economic game changer for the province.
“The export of livestock to Kuwait from the Eastern Cape means a lot for us, in terms of growing our economy. You would understand that we have been saying this, identifying agriculture as our potential growth, as our niche as well.
“This transaction alone is more than a R200 million investment into this; more than R1.2 billion has been put into this. This is the sixth instalment of this loading that you are seeing here. This is taking us somewhere,” said Mabuyane.
Mabuyane’s office said that the total investment for the shipment was valued at R206 million, which includes the value of animals shipped, feed for the animals both at the feedlot and during the voyage, temporary employment, East London Port fees, and veterinary supplies.
The provincial government further said that inspectors from the NSPCA were working with the farmers and veterinary officials from the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) to ensure compliance with the guidelines.
“The provincial government has taken an inclusive participation in this process to ensure that only healthy and safe animals are transported as part of this export trade deal,” according to Mabuyane’s office.
The NSPCA, in a statement, slammed the shipment as “another ship of death”.
“The NSPCA remains adamantly opposed to the cruel and unnecessary transportation of live animals by sea. Until this practice ends, the NSPCA will leverage all available legal powers to ensure animal welfare is prioritised, and continue with inspections to ensure that only healthy and suitable animals undergo such arduous journeys,” read the statement.
The organisation said that inspections carried out at the feedlot where the animals were kept for the shipment identified serious animal welfare concerns. These, according to the NSPCA, included a lack of shade and water, and some animals were injured.
Agri Eastern Cape president, Pieter Cloete, says the economic spin-offs of the livestock exports programme are benefiting the entire agriculture value chain.
“I think it is vital to understand the spin-offs in the province that come from this. It is much like the motor industry you know; people see and think it’s only a motor car, but there is a tyre industry, there is upholstery industry, and everything that goes with it, and with this we are really going to work hard to try tod lift genetics with the emerging farmers, because that is where the numbers lie. As you all know, the Eastern Cape has the highest number of livestock anywhere of all the provinces in this country, so it is of vital importance that we get this industry to keep it going.
“We are happy today. We came here to see the loading of sheep into the vessel. It is beautiful inside, they are being well fed, some are resting, and there is no problem,” said Cloete.
