The inclusion of veterinary services in the Western Cape powers bill will advance animal and public health and biosecurity.
Following media reports of the condition of 19,000 cattle on board the Al Kuwait live export vessel which docked in Cape Town this week, state veterinarians from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture have worked closely with veterinarians from the Border Management Authority (BMA) who monitored the vessel whilst it was in our coastline. The vessel had prior approval from the Ports Authority and the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) for loading animal feed en route to Iraq.
Expressing his concern about the conditions of cattle aboard the ship and the possible remedy to avoid similar occurrences in the future, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, said that the draft Western Cape Powers Bill, underpinned by the Growth for Jobs strategy is focused on trade and exports.
Minister Meyer commented, “The Western Cape Powers Bill calls for the Western Cape Government to get greater control over the management of the port and trade. Should the Western Cape Powers Bill be approved, it will empower the Western Cape Government to intervene in similar situations and safeguard animal and public health, defend animal welfare and advance biosecurity”.
“It is for this reason that I have made submissions to the Ad hoc Committee on the Powers Bill in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament for the inclusion of veterinary services in the Bill “, added the Minister.
“We envisage that the framework created by the Powers Bill will provide legal and regulatory instruments to ensure free, safe, healthy trade and export relations. In the interim we will continue to support the relevant authorities in addressing concerns related to veterinary care, public health, and biosecurity”, concluded the Minister.
Media Enquiries:
Daniel Johnson
Spokesperson for Minister Ivan Meyer
Email: Daniel.Johnson@westerncape.gov.za
Cell: 0799904231
