The National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) has vowed to forge ahead with plans to press criminal charges against the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) after 25 horses in their care at the South African Army Specialised Infantry Capability (SAASIC) in Potchefstroom had to be euthanised due to starvation.
This despite the SANDF saying it would take remedial action to alleviate the plight of the horses under its care as a sign of its commitment to preventing cruelty.
The SAASIC was established in March 2011 with a number of horses to provide an equestrian capability for the SANDF.
This is a function that includes border line safety deployment and training.
NSPCA director Marcelle Meredith said: “What's done is done and there is a price to pay for suffering.”
She said their inspectors were horrified when they recently discovered that horses in the care of the SAASIC unit were starving to death.
“Some 25 horses on the army base were in such an emaciated condition or compromised state of health that to prevent their further suffering, they had to be destroyed,” said Meredith.
She said they had entered into a memorandum of understanding with the SANDF, formally signed in May 2016, with regards to their responsibilities to adequately care for the animals in their control.
“Their failure to secure suitably qualified personnel or adequate facilities, combined with a non-empathetic infrastructure that has repeatedly failed the animals in their care, has resulted in a complete breakdown in the welfare conditions afforded to the horses.”
A further 169 horses were currently being kept on the Potchefstroom property in North West.
In a statement, the SANDF confirmed the euthanisation of 25 of its horses due to compromised health.
“The services of our Military Veterinary Institute (MVI) has been roped in to help continuously assess the conditions under which these animals are kept and ensure that all conditions identified as harmful are addressed with the urgency they deserve, to enhance the health status of our animals.
“In our quest to finally settle our horses in a large enough environment, the chief of the SANDF, Solly Shoke, has directed that 80 of our horses be relocated to a better facility in Rooiwal, north of Pretoria, to ensure that all animals under the care of the SANDF are properly looked after.
“With the help of the MVI, we have also enlisted extra personnel and veterinary physicians to help manage the animals and ensure that the highest standard of animal breeding behaviour is maintained by the SANDF,” said the SANDF.
Reacting to the statement, Meredith said: “We are happy that the MVI are on board. We will also be requesting to be a part of the move and we will be checking up on the animals.”