Stokvel loses fortune as sheep suffocate
A R250 000 stokvel deal went horribly wrong after 53 sheep were transported in a truck with no ventilation.
|||Cape Town - A R250 000 stokvel deal went horribly wrong after 122 sheep were transported from Beaufort West to Khayelitsha in a truck with no ventilation, leaving 53 dead.
Cape of Good Hope SPCA inspector Moyo Ndukwana said they suspected it was a “stokvel gone wrong” when they caught a man transporting 122 sheep in a truck.
He said the sheep were squeezed together in the truck, and their legs tied with bailing twine.
The truck which had poor ventilation caused the death of 53 sheep.
Ndukwana said: “When we arrived at the (Harare) police station (on Saturday) we were accompanied by the police to where the truck was parked.
“The truck was still sealed.
“When we opened it some sheep had suffocated and two had to be put down on the spot.”
According to the inspector, the sheep were bought on a Beaufort West farm on behalf of a stokvel committee.
It is suspected that the sheep were going to be distributed as part of the stokvel’s year-end profit sharing.
“During the festive season we are expecting the number of complaints to spike,” said Ndukwana.
He said 41 sheep survived the horrid trip inside the truck while 28 more were in the trailer.
Ndukwana said: “We confiscated 69 sheep including Merino and Damara sheep.”
The inspector said it was believed the buyer paid more than R250 000 for the sheep, including transport.
Ndukwana said the average price of a sheep ranges between R1 600 and R2 000.
He said the SPCA would be pressing charges of animal cruelty against the truck driver, the farmer and the buyer.
“The driver can’t use a mode of transport which does not have a ventilation system.
“We also confirmed the sale with the farmer and we will be charging him as well as the buyer.”
zodidi.dano@inl.co.za
Cape Argus
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