Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Thomas Ferreira
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is concerned by reports that Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) Mayor, Gregory Nthatisi remains insistent on reopening the Managung Zoo despite the lack of compliance. Should this materialize, the Mayor is in danger of facing severe legal action as stated in the MPAC report.
The MPAC report clearly states that there is an open case at Park Road Police Station, filed by the SPCA, concerning animal abuse and neglect charges against the Metro. The Zoo was closed in December 2019, and no further action has been taken since. Should the Zoo reopen in its current state, it is evident that the SPCA and DESTEA (Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs) will pursue and continue the case.
The DA emphasised three reasons why the Metro does not comply with permit and legislation requirements as outlined in the MPAC report, and therefore cannot reopen the Zoo:
- The Metro does not have the necessary permits for the animals and lacks PAAZA (Pan African Association of Zoos) operational approval.
- There is currently no budget for maintenance and upgrades of the Zoo. The MPAC report indicates that many enclosures need to be demolished and rebuilt to meet the norms and standards for operating a Zoological Facility. Delays in payment for feed, resulting in feed shortages, pose ongoing problems.
- According to PAAZA, there should be an attending veterinarian available for animal disease control, proper dietary composition and formulation, as well as health care.
The DA upholds the 5 Freedoms of Animal Welfare and will not allow them to be jeopardised. We will closely monitor the Mangaung Zoo to ensure that animal welfare standards are met and will report any contraventions to the relevant stakeholders.