More than 74 000 South Africans have supported ongoing calls to halt live farm animal shipments, especially in response to the arrival of the Al Kuwait, carrying 19 000 cattle destined for the Middle East, in Cape Town yesterday.
Also read: Update: SPCA exposes harrowing conditions aboard ‘Kuwaiti death ship’
The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA), along with representatives of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, conducted an inspection of the ship after numerous calls from residents noting a strong sewage-like odour that permeated across parts of the City.
On Tuesday, Beauty Without Cruelty chair Toni Brockhoven said the organisation called for an immediate moratorium on live farm animal exports, proposing that the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) review its support for the live export of farmed animals.
In a statement, the organisation noted that ‘the growth and ongoing sustainability of South Africa’s agricultural sector should not be premised on practices which are irreconcilable with the principles of our Constitution, and with the findings of our courts.
‘(In theory) industry practices shall comply at all times with the provisions of S2(1) of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962. Live animal exports may be a profitable business, but less so than the exportation of processed meats.’
In the case of animals shipped from South Africa, Beauty Without Cruelty South Africa suggested that the animals should be killed as per the prescribed halaal requirements at an export abattoir.
Shaykh Achmat Sedick, director of the Muslim Judicial Council Halaal Trust, questions the government’s approval of shipping ‘tens of thousands of animals’ to the Middle East, emphasizing the necessity of providing rest, fresh food, and water for the animals to meet halaal requirements.
Cruelty towards animals is considered impure and unlawful in Islam, News24 reports.
In a 2011 paper, members of the World Organisation for Animal Health Dr Abdul Rahman and Professor Hassan Aidaros noted that ‘all the Islamic laws on the treatment of animals, including the method of slaughter, are based on compassion, fellow-feeling and benevolence.’
While the investigation on board the Al Kuwait is ongoing, it is still scheduled to depart today, 20 February.
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Picture: Cape of Good Hope SPCA / Facebook
