Animal abuse charges opened as NSPCA takes on government over sheep shipped to Middle East

The National SPCA has laid charges against several groups, including the department of agriculture, for animal abuse, it confirmed on Thursday.

The case involves the manner in which 60,000 sheep were shipped from SA to the Middle East last month.

The group said it had also laid charges against the Eastern Cape rural development and agrarian reform department, the owners of the Al Shuwaikh boat, who have a company in SA, the captain of the Al Shuwaikh, the Page Farming Trust, and individuals from the trust.

“In October 2019, despite a campaign by the NSPCA against the live export of some 60,000 sheep to the Middle East, the SA government approved the export. The NSPCA monitored the loading process and contraventions in terms of the Animals Protection Act ... were observed and documented by the NSPCA inspectors and inspectors from various Eastern Cape SPCAs,” the animal protection group said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.

The NSPCA expressed shock at the conditions both on board the ship and on the dock and feedlot prior to the animals being loaded.

“[There were] dangerously high ammonia levels on some of the enclosed decks, dirty conditions including faeces in the food and water troughs, together with other serious welfare concerns,” the group said.

“On the dock and feedlot animals were treated in an inhumane manner, and attempts were made to load sick, injured and lame animals onto the vessel. These sentient beings meant nothing to the officials and exporters.”

Grace de Lange, manager of the NSPCA’s farm animal protection unit, said their efforts to address the unfavourable conditions on the day the animals were loaded were ignored.

She expressed relief at being finally able to lay charges against those involved.

“The NSPCA has received criticism that it has taken too long to lay the charges for animal cruelty. Preparing separate dockets for the feedlot, the harbour and the vessel carrying the sheep has involved the collation of valuable evidence from 15 staff members,” De Lange said.

“Carefully completed dockets with the relevant evidence have been handed over to the South African Police Services who will now only be required to obtain statements from the accused” she added.

The NSPCA was hoping that the court battle surrounding this case would result in the Al-Shuwaikh not returning to SA shores.

It stressed that the live export by sea was completely unacceptable and unnecessary.