Fifty-eight-year-old William Motsemme, a horse-cart owner from Tumahole, was one of the victims of a vicious bee attack in Parys on Saturday morning. He was hospitalised after being stung several times but was discharged later that day. His horses were also attacked and taken care of by the SPCA and a local veterinarian.

For William and residents of Unie, Wes, Freedman and Barnes streets affected by the agressive attack, Saturday’s traumatic experience will remain etched in their memories, but also the memories of those who came to their aid.

The incident claimed the lives of several dogs and birds and left a woman in serious condition at Mediclinic Potchefstroom.

Taryn van Olden, a committee member of the Parys SPCA, recalls that the organisation received a call at 09:45 on Saturday morning to assist horses that had been stung by bees.

When she and fellow committee member Hugh du Preez arrived at the scene on behalf of the SPCA, they saw the horse-drawn cart and two horses further down the road. They realised that the driver must have brought the cart to an abrupt stop against a fence before fleeing to escape the bees. Part of the swarm was attacking the horses, which were in great distress and kicking against the fence while still tethered to the cart.

“We were about to call Bee Free African Honey Bees when we saw they were already around the corner helping residents get their dog away from the bees by smoking them out. We alerted Bee Free African Honey Bees to the horses and returned to assist them, only to find a very brave member of the public, using a curtain for protection, cutting the tethers so the horses could move away.””

” Bee Free African Honey Bees started smoking the bees while we called the vet. Hugh was able to move the smaller horse down the street, away from the swarm. Still panicked, a neighbour brought out a garden hose, which helped remove some of the lingering bees from the smaller horse.”

“Dr Bastian Fouche arrived to administer medication and attended to the smaller horse before moving up the street to treat the larger one, which was also highly distressed, kicking and bucking,” Taryn explained.

“Bee Free African Honey Bees gave me a spare beekeeper’s suit so I could help the vet administer fly spray, and kept the smoke coming while the vet injected medication into this horse as well.”

“Thereafter, we tried to calm the horse down and move it closer to the other horse, but it continued to resist. By then, two members of the public had helped calm the smaller horse and turned their attention to the larger one. They removed its bit, which was hurting it, and guided it down the street. One of them was apparently a former member of the police horse unit.”

“Bee Free African Honey Bees left me with a smoker, and I continued to ward off some of the more persistent bees that lingered while the horses were being led away.”

SPCA volunteer Diane Snyman had by then called Nokkie Bezuidenhout, to assist with transport for the horses to the SPCA premises. “

“With tremendous effort, they were loaded and taken to the SPCA one at a time. We let them into the area next to the kennels, where SPCA staff had prepared hay bales and water for them. The vets checked on them again, and they began to relax in the shade. The rescue operation lasted about four and a half hours, and it was a huge effort by everyone involved.”

“I didn’t get the names of all the people, but we are so grateful to Zahnita Oosthuizen and her husband, who assisted with controlling traffic, maintaining communication between us and providing brave, practical assistance to help prevent the horses from injuring themselves further in their panic,” Taryn said.

“Bee Free African Honey Bees, Dr Bastian, the SPCA and the community worked together really well to ensure a good outcome for these horses,” Taryn told the Gazette.