NSPCA goes to court to stop 70,000 live sheep being shipped to Kuwait

The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has approached the Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) high court seeking an interdict to halt the export of about 70,000 live sheep to Kuwait by ship.

The case will be heard on Friday and follows the previous discovery of live sheep being exported by sea to the Middle East, allegedly under “horrendous” conditions.

The NSPCA said on Tuesday that it had also discovered that other exporters wished to export live cattle by sea to Cambodia.

“Since the shipment in October 2019, the NSPCA has attempted to gain information from both the exporters and the government of when the next shipment is scheduled — to no avail,” it said.

“The NSPCA was recently made aware that the sheep are mounting in the feedlot owned by the Page Farming Trust and leased by Al Mawashi in Berlin, Eastern Cape, and there were in excess of 30,000 sheep in the first week of February.

“This number has increased by another 40,000 since February 13 — totalling 70,000 sheep. It is clear that an imminent shipment is planned.”

The council said AfriForum had agreed to represent it in court on Friday.

“This case is not only important for this shipment of sheep, but for all the animals that are destined for this harrowing journey to various countries around the globe. We simply cannot allow the perpetuation and growth of this cruel and brutal trade,” said Grace de Lange, manager of the NSPCA’s farm animal protection unit.

The council said it had laid criminal charges in November 2019 against numerous parties: the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development; the Eastern Cape department of rural development and agrarian reform; Al Mawashi, the owners of the Al Shuwaikh vessel, who own a company in SA; the captain of the Al Shuwaikh; the Page Farming Trust; and individuals from the Page Farming Trust.

This was after NSPCA inspectors spent days at East London harbour when about 57,000 sheep were loaded for shipment to the Middle East. The police investigation is ongoing.

Conditions on board the Al Shuwaikh in October 2019, the NSPCA said, allegedly included:

• dangerously high ammonia levels on some enclosed decks;
• widespread diarrhoea, with much of it falling into feed and water troughs;
• sheep in respiratory distress; and
• poor conditions on the dock and feedlot.

“The costs incurred thus far have been exorbitant and the matter is far from over. The motion will be heard in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, so travelling costs as well as legal costs are placing huge pressure on the NSPCA’s resources,” added the council.