By Linda Louwrens – DA Councillor Moqhaka Municipality
Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans Soundbites by Cllr Linda Louwrens and Sesotho Soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Moqhaka Local Municipality calls for the immediate prioritisation of a functional pound to address the ongoing issue of stray animals. Since the previous council term, no action has been taken to establish a facility where stray animals can be contained. This lack of action poses serious risks to both community safety and local farmers.
Stray cattle are frequently found wandering across Moqhaka, including busy roads such as the N1 and R76 Viljoenskroon route, leading to several reported motor vehicle accidents. As the animal owners often cannot be identified, local farmers face the burden of managing these stray animals to prevent further incidents on public roads, but they receive no municipal support for relocating the animals to a secure location. The presence of roaming animals along main roads and highways endangers all road users.
According to the Municipal Systems Act of 2000, Moqhaka Municipality has adopted a Control of Public Nuisance Bylaw, which explicitly prohibits public nuisances that affect health, including “all animals running at large.” In support of this, the General Street Bylaw mandates that “no owner or person may allow, permit or cause any animal to graze or stray in or about any street.”
However, with only six permanent Law Enforcement Officers, Moqhaka Municipality struggles to implement and enforce these bylaws effectively. Due to the lack of a functional pound, stray animals cannot be safely housed, leaving a gap in public safety enforcement.
In previous correspondence, the municipality stated that a pound would be established in 2023, with specifications coordinated alongside Supply Chain Management. However, no service level agreement has yet been finalised with local Pound Masters, further delaying progress.
The DA urgently calls on Moqhaka to establish this pound as a priority to ensure the safety of road users and to enforce existing bylaws effectively. The DA Moqhaka will continue to pursue this issue rigorously, monitoring each stage of the process to ensure timely action.