Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Linda Louwrens and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Moqhaka has formally written to the Municipal Council to obtain clear answers and timelines on the establishment of a functional municipal animal pound, as the continued absence of this critical facility poses serious risks to public health, animal welfare, and the local agricultural economy amid the ongoing threat of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).
Without a properly resourced municipal pound, stray and uncontrolled animals are left to roam freely within residential, agricultural, and public spaces. This lack of containment poses significant risks to livestock, pets, wildlife, and the broader community. With various reported cases in the Kroonstad area, FMD is highly contagious and can spread rapidly through direct contact, contaminated surfaces, and uncontrolled animal movement.
Farmers, animal welfare organisations, and residents have repeatedly raised concerns about:
- The inability to isolate and monitor stray or potentially infected animals;
- Increased risk of disease transmission to livestock and domestic animals;
- Public safety hazards, including animal-related accidents and bites;
- The strain being placed on private veterinarians, farmers, and animal welfare groups who are forced to step in without adequate support.
The DA has raised this concern with the Moqhaka Municipality on various occasions over the past 4 years. In 2025, the municipality indicated that a draft bylaw would be circulated at the Senior Managers Meeting in Feb 2025 for input, but since then, the matter has gone cold.
A municipal pound plays a critical role in disease control, animal-welfare enforcement, and public-health protection. Its absence undermines national and provincial efforts to manage and contain outbreaks such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease, which carries serious economic consequences for agriculture and food security.
The DA in Moqhaka is calling on the municipality to urgently prioritise:
- The establishment or reinstatement of a fully operational municipal pound.
- Adequate staffing, veterinary oversight, and biosecurity measures.
- Clear protocols for handling stray, impounded, and potentially infected animals.
- Collaboration with animal welfare organisations and agricultural stakeholders.
Failure to act places the municipality at risk of preventable disease outbreaks, legal liability, and further erosion of public trust.