Livestock owners urged to keep animals off the roads
Allowing cattle to roam freely on roads can lead to serious accidents and the death of the animals and even motorists.
KAMHLUSHWA – Animals freely wandering across the road have been the cause of several accidents and pulse-pounding near-misses in Nkomazi.
Over the weekend, Capt Magonseni Nkosi from Tonga SAPS came across an incident in which a cow had been hit by a car.
According to him, KaMhlushwa, Mzinti, Mbuzini, Tonga and Schoemansdal have the most problems relating to stray cattle. Low’s Creek also occasionally reports these problems.
He urged cattle owners to keep a close eye on their animals and not to let them roam in the open, especially at night. While locals may know where these animals usually graze, they pose a danger to visitors or people that do not know the area well.
Collisions with stray cattle could lead to the death of the animal, a human fatality or serious injuries.
READ: More roadworks planned for N4 this year
He urged cattle owners to brand their livestock. This will enable police to track down their owner in case of an accident or to return livestock in the case of theft or if they are found wandering.
TRAC also cautioned road users about cattle wandering into the roads. This follows an accident near Middelburg last Monday night, in which nine vehicles crashed into cattle that wandered onto the N4. Several of the vehicles’ occupants were injured.
The problem is expected to increase as cattle move closer to the road to search for better grazing.
TRAC has tried to put up fences and barriers to keep animals off the road, but these barriers are stolen and community members keep allowing their animals to roam free near the road.
READ: Government hopes to curb cattle theft with name tags
According to law, the animals’ owners will be held liable for damage caused by the animal wandering onto a public road.
TRAC has a whistle-blower hotline, 082-900-2447, on which theft of infrastructure can be reported. Callers can remain anonymous and could receive an award of up to R10 000 if their information leads to legal action or the recovery of infrastructure.
READ: Police bust suspected chop shop in Naas
Motorists were urged to slow down if they spot an animal on the road, as more could be nearby. Sound your hooter or switch on hazard lights to warn other road users.
If the animal is blocking the road, do not carelessly swerve into another lane. Rather slow down and stop, checking if the other lane is clear before driving around the animal.
Cattle on the road or other incidents and problems can be reported to TRAC’s 24-hour help desk on 0800-87-22-64 or 082-881-4444.
