By Sive Rihanna Dasha
The Makana roaming livestock situation is not merely a nuisance but constitutes a matter of legal accountability and governance. Two municipal by-laws regulate livestock management and impoundment, while the Constitution requires the municipality to protect residents’ safety, health, and property. In addition, the South African Animals Amendment Act No. 42 of 1993 states that the owner of any animal, as a result of negligence, causing injury to another person, might be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for up to two years.
Weak enforcement of these laws and the absence of a functional local pound constitute a failure to meet these legal duties. The reliance on the distant Alexandria pound makes enforcement impractical.
Makana Municipality spokesperson Anele Mjekula told Grocott’s Mail that the municipality has been taking steps to manage the issue. He said a team of permanent and casual workers patrols the CBD during the day and after hours, and residents can report stray animals using a dedicated 24/7 hotline.
Mjekula acknowledged that Makhanda still lacks a functional pound, attributing the delay to funding challenges and the process of identifying suitable land. Despite these obstacles, the municipality has allocated R350 000 in the 2025/26 financial year for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as part of its plans to establish a local pound.
The municipality has also procured a vehicle dedicated to animal control, employed casual workers for patrols, and begun reviewing its animal impoundment by-law to improve enforcement. Mjekula said that laws are applied equally to all, regardless of whether livestock owners are municipal officials or residents. Rejecting claims of governance failure, he said that the municipality is taking proactive measures, including exploring temporary holding pens.
He called on livestock owners to secure their animals, on residents to continue reporting roaming livestock, and on all community members to collaborate with the municipality to build a safer and more harmonious environment.
- This article has been corrected to remove quotes which were mistakenly attributed to advocate Brin Brody.
