BETHAL – Police warned a local farmer had been warned that his cattle should not be roaming the streets of Bethal. This came after residents had complained on groups and social media platforms, of livestock roaming residential areas and ripping open refuse bags.
However, according to police, the municipality is responsible for enforcing by-laws. In the past, there were impounding by-laws and acts prohibiting owners from allowing livestock entering and roaming residential areas.
The animal was normally impounded and the owner then had to pay a fine and impounding fees to the organisation where the animal had been held.
“If the cattle is a danger to the public on the road, we need to trace the owner first and make him aware that his stock is in the road and endangering the public. Only if the owner is not traced, then arrangements can be made for the cattle to be impounded,” said Capt Kobus Fourie, of the Stock Theft Unit.
It is alleged that one of the owners of the “Bethal town grazing visitors” said that the sidewalks and parks belong to the municipality and not to home owners and that people must stop complaining about the cattle in town. The local SPCA used to have a pound agreement with GMM which was supposed to have been renewed three years ago, but this never came to light.
The agreement and costs would normally involve the picking up of stray animals such as dogs and cats only. However, without municipal funding, the SPCA unable to perform such duties as they are NPO and rely on public funding.
