'Horrific donkey killing site' on Northern Cape farm

File picture: Mark Hutchinson/Independent Media

File picture: Mark Hutchinson/Independent Media

Published Jan 24, 2017

Share

Kimberley – A "horrific donkey killing site”, where hundreds of donkeys have apparently been bludgeoned with hammers and skinned alive, has been uncovered in Olifantshoek in the Northern Cape.

The National Council of SPCAs’ Farm Animal Protection Unit recently uncovered what they termed “another horror donkey killing site” in the Province, where hundreds of donkeys were apparently illegally and brutally slaughtered on a farm in Olifantshoek.

Two suspects, Heinrich Smit and Dawid Pappie, were arrested and have been charged in terms of the Animals Protection Act and the Meat Safety Act, following the gruesome findings on their farm and witness reports of donkeys being bludgeoned with hammers and skinned alive.

Despite the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) opposing bail, both men were released after their arrest and will appear in the Kathu Magistrate’s Court next month.

Inspector Mpho Mokoena of the NSPCA’s Farm Animal Protection Unit advised that an investigation was started after reports were received of missing donkeys in the area. The trail led to the Smit property and the findings.

“Our concern is for these gentle creatures that are killed in a barbaric and inhumane manner,” said Mokoena.

He added that the demand for donkey skins, supposedly for medicinal purposes, continued throughout South Africa.

“Donkey hide contains a gelatine which is claimed to be valued for medicinal purposes and, according to the China Daily newspaper, ‘has anti-aging properties, able to treat insomnia and improve blood circulation’.

The gelatine is a key ingredient in China’s ejiao industry, which produces tablets, tonics and a sweet syrup. The skins are soaked and stewed to produce or release this substance,” Mokoena said.

The NSPCA said on Monday that it would continue to work “tirelessly” to trace and bring to justice any operations which abused and cruelly treated animals.

“The fact that this incident occurred in a remote part of a vast province was no hindrance for the NSPCA. Our determination is steadfast and we will take any and all steps to protect animals as well as to bring perpetrators of criminal acts against them to justice. We are of the opinion that the government is doing very little to end this illegal practice. Many people’s very existence depends on the donkey that they own,” the NSPCA said in a statement.

They further appealed to members of the public to submit information on matters of this kind, anonymously if preferred, to [email protected].

A national weekly newspaper reported last week that more than 5 000 donkey hides were found in a shack and a metal container in Benoni.

The find reportedly marks the single biggest discovery of donkey hides and is believed to be major breakthrough in a case against a syndicate suspected of slaughtering the animals and transporting the meat and hides without them being certified disease free.

Diamond Fields Advertiser

Related Topics: