Stop the cruelty, ban live export. Shipped to death. No ban, no vote. These were some of the messages written on placards carried by a group of activists from several animal rights organisations during a protest against livestock exports in South Africa.
The protest, organised by animal rights organisation Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC), was held on Tuesday 2 April, at the intersection of Hertzog Boulevard and Christian Barnard Street in the city centre.
The protest was in response to the docking of a live-export vessel, Al Messilah, in East London earlier that day. The ship was loaded with about 58 000 sheep, 1 500 cattle and 200 goats before heading for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia where the animals would be slaughtered.
The docking comes barely two months after “death ship” Al Kuwait, carrying 19 000 cattle, docked in Cape Town Harbour.
Toni Brockhoven, BWC chair, said they will be protesting every time a livestock export vessel docks in SA. “This is about the dignity and respect we have for those animals that are going to be slaughtered. Putting them through such incredible misery and suffering, some of whom will die onboard or will suffer broken limbs because of the sheer number of animals present, is unacceptable.”
Brockhoven called for livestock exports to be condemned by all. “Every decent thinking person should be saying no to live animal export. It is an embarrassment and a shame that our government cannot see beyond [its] own immediate want as far as finance goes. This can be creating jobs in South Africa. This could be creating new abattoirs.
“Our presence today is not going to change the government’s mind. But we hope that our presence is going to create an awareness for the public.”
Michelle Taberer, the co-founder of Stop Live Export South Africa, an organisation that creates awareness of the horrors of livestock export trade, said they are calling for the immediate banning of the trade.
“We want more people to support us and our course. We call on people to support these kinds of protests. Because the more awareness we create the more pressure we put on the government and the Department of Agriculture to place a ban on live exports.
“People can follow us on social media.”
Protester Gabrielle van Heesch said the live export of animals is “beyond cruel”.
“There’s no concern for animals, it is just for money. What these animals go through just to be slaughtered is inhumane. They are on ships for weeks on end, they have feelings, they experience fear.”
She added: “I want live export to be scrapped worldwide. It shouldn’t be happening. People need to eat, but there are ways around it.”
Another protester Sharon Fields said: “It is despicable that in this day and age live export is still taking place. It is just a money-making racket and it’s shocking. It can so easily be stopped.”
Meanwhile, the NSPCA said in a press statement that it welcomed the judgment of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, Makhanda, for affirming the NSPCA’s mandate in respect of screening all animals on board Al Messilah.
This comes after the exporter, Al Mawashi, working through the Page Farming Company, launched an urgent application in the High Court on Friday 29 March to prevent the NSPCA from marking compromised animals to prevent such animals from being loaded onto the vessel and from screening for pregnant ewes.
“Al Mawashi, however, withdrew the relief in respect of the pregnant ewes at the last minute, due to pregnant ewes being present in the feedlot and with at least one (at that stage) giving birth in the feedlot.
“This despite Bruce Page, from the Page Farming Company, deposing under oath that all ewes were screened “thoroughly” for pregnancy and no pregnant ewes would be exported. However, NSPCA’s veterinarian, Dr Marock, as well as the state veterinarian, Dr Zondi, have confirmed that there are pregnant animals, some visibly pregnant, at the feedlot,” read the statement.
The Court ruled that the NSPCA is well within its mandate and rights, as endorsed by the Constitutional Court and in terms of its warrant, to examine all animals in the feedlot and the conditions under which they are held.
“The abhorrently cruel and hasty sheering of sheep which Al Mawashi has resorted to, due to their self-imposed, profit-driven timeline, was set out in the NSPCA’s papers and the evidence put forward was accepted by the Court.
“Al Mawashi now has a costs order for legal fees against it, although such costs do not include the enormous expense to keep our teams on the feedlot and harbour, to conduct the crucial screening and prevention of cruelty to animals,” concluded the statement.
