For cattle owners, it is important to have the correct branding.
This is part of the message from the Newcastle Stock Pound, following the seizure of 97 cattle near the Rail Station towards Madadeni.
Pound spokesman, Loma Muyunda elaborated.
“Last month there was a collision and we pounded two cattle with the same tags. A few weeks ago, we had 97 in total in the pound.”
Upon investigation, Mr Muyunda found the cattle had escaped after the herdsmen absconded, a fact later confirmed by an associate of the farm owner.
He claimed the herdsmen had been threatened, as they were foreign nationals.
“The fences are being stolen constantly and the herdsmen were chased off the land. When they left, many of the cattle were stolen.”
Following the pounding of the cattle, and with fees going into the tens of thousands of Rand, Mr Muyunda has appealed to cattle owners to exercise vigilance to avoid paying hefty fines.
Advice provided in an official pamphlet is as follows:
· Animal owners should ensure they know where their animals are at all times, and they are branded correctly.
· For brandmark applications and manufacture of brand irons, contact the Newcastle Stock Pound on 072 225 8665 or 034 331 3008 during office hours, or 078 956 8126 after hours. On weekends, send an email to lomamuyunda@gmail.com.
· For assistance with branding of animals, contact the stock pound on the details above.
· Owners of unbranded animals will be fined by a relevant SAPS, RTI or Traffic Officer. Fines will be payable at the municipal building.
· Animals unclaimed after 30 days will be auctioned to defray costs, unless brought to the pound by court order.
· People or organisations wishing to make use of the pound, should familiarise themselves with the principles of the KwaZulu-Natal Pounds Act of 2006 – an email version of this document is available on request from the pound.
In addition, Mr Muyunda said animals on public roads should be reported to the Traffic Department or the RTI.
Stray animals should be reported to the SAPS before the pound is contacted.
“If you have lost an animal or animals, begin with the pound before opening a stock theft case with the SAPS,” he concluded.
