The Witbank SPCA, three municipal law enforcement vehicles, a police van and traffic policing vehicle were sent out to the home in Ackerman Street after SPCA Inspector, Mpho Mokoena was chased from the property the previous day.
Concerns about the home in Ackerman Street were raised after Mr Riaan Erasmus, aged 34, was allegedly shot in the eye by his neighbour, after he peered over the wall.
Erasmus has undergone a number of surgeries in the hopes of restoring his vision in his right eye.
On Monday May 12, Witbank SPCA visited the house in Ackerman Street only to find that the family there were breeding hundreds of animals on their property, breaking municipal by-laws in the process.
When the Witbank SPCA began their inspection, they were met with arrogance and were chased off of the property, cursed at by the inhabitants of the house. Insp Mokoena headed for the Witbank Magistrates Court and acquired a warrant, giving her full right to search the house.
The following day she was escorted by police, along with three municipal law enforcement vehicles and traffic police, back to their house.
While inspecting the home and yard, the SPCA discovered that the family were in fact breeding a number of animals, and on a rough count it was discovered they were in possession of at least 40 rabbits, 30 to 40 different birds – including three parrots, a number of geese and roughly 20 chickens.
To top that all off, the owners of the house had caged a number of birds in one of the rooms and in that same cage they were breeding guinea pigs – which is highly unhygienic. They were also in possession of three large black pigs, according to municipal by-law, pigs may not be kept within 100 meters of a neighbouring boundary, such as a wall or fence of a neighbour.
The family was given a warning on the living conditions of the animals, and were fined R1 500 by the municipal officials; they were also given a deadline of seven days in which to relocate the animals being bred within the home and yard.
Riaan Erasmus had undergone another eye operation at Johannesburg Eye Clinic on May 15. “The operation went quite well, my brother can see a bit more of a silhouette now with his eye, so he hasn’t completely lost his vision,” said Erasmus.
Erasmus added that Riaan will need to undergo further eye surgeries in hopes of restoring his eye’s functionality.
The woman who allegedly shot Riaan, is expected to appear in Witbank Magistrates Court on July 29.
