Midrand SPCA wary of by-law infringement after a cow died from electrocution in Glen Austin
City Power spokesperson confirms tackling persistent illegal connections on Keeshond Street in Glen Austin after removing them two weeks ago.
Midrand Reporter received a worrying message from a concerned resident that a cow had tragically died after being electrocuted in Glen Austin on December 1.
This was allegedly due to an illegal connection in Keeshond Street.
The paper then contacted Midrand SPCA general manager Pam Pretorius to confirm whether the incident had been reported to them.
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Pretorius said that although this particular incident was not reported to them, there were plenty of municipal by-law infringements that affected animals, which included livestock.
She said that according to these laws, all animals should be kept in a yard or face being impounded, even if they are in the guardianship of herdsmen.
“It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that they adhere to these by-laws and could face legal action. What happened to the cow is really awful, but it was not reported to us yet. However, animal cruelty is a huge problem in the area. We urge everyone, livestock or pet owners, to keep their animals in the yard,” said Pretorius.
Midrand Reporter also called City Power to find out if they were aware of these alleged illegal connections and what remedial actions would be taken.
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Isaac Mangena, City Power spokesperson, said they were aware of the alleged incident and the presence of unlawful connections in Keeshond Street.
“However, we cannot confirm whether the animal was electrocuted as alleged or if it died of natural causes. We are in the process of arranging a planned operation to remove illegal connections in the area,” said Mangena.
He added that it is important to note that their revenue protection team removed illegal connections in the same location two weeks ago.
However, Mangena concluded that individuals continue to reconnect unlawfully to City Power’s infrastructure.
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