Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
- Stray livestock is becoming a growing concern in South Africa that demands urgent intervention.
- When dialogue and negotiation fail, legal remedies often remain the only means of restoring order. A case in point is the prolonged effort by Agri Eastern Cape to compel the Ndlambe Municipality, north of Gqeberha, to address the issue of stray cattle.
- The carrying capacity of Ndlambe Municipality’s land allows for approximately 200 animals. However, a 2016 census recorded 1 500 animals grazing on land adjacent to beef and dairy cattle farms.
- Effective disease control is impossible when unidentified animals enter an area.
- Another consequence of this issue is frequent road accidents.
Stray livestock is becoming a growing concern in South Africa that demands urgent intervention. Left unchecked, it endangers animal health, fuels stock theft, causes fatal road accidents, enables illegal grazing, and disrupts responsible producers’ operations.
Stray, unbranded, and unidentified animals most often originate from redistributed farms, communal lands, town-owned land, and informal settlements. It is the duty of government departments and municipalities to enforce existing laws and regulations to ensure orderly and accountable livestock ownership.
The situation is steadily deteriorating, and decisive action is now essential to prevent it from escalating further. When dialogue and negotiation fail, legal remedies often remain the only means of restoring order. A case in point is the prolonged effort by Agri Eastern Cape to compel the Ndlambe Municipality, north of Gqeberha, to address the issue of stray cattle. The High Court issued an order requiring the municipality to implement corrective measures and report on its progress.
Disease risks
Brent McNamara, general manager of Agri Eastern Cape and vice-president of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (RPO) Eastern Cape, warns that the uncontrolled roaming of cattle poses a serious threat to livestock farming. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which affects all cloven-hoofed animals, is easily spread by other animals, vehicles, and people. Even the strictest biosecurity measures become ineffective when stray cattle are present.
The risk is significant: If infections occur in an area, producers’ herds may contract diseases that threaten animal health and the economic survival of farming enterprises. This danger extends beyond FMD to include trichomoniasis, brucellosis, and bovine tuberculosis.
Trichomoniasis is one of the most feared cattle diseases, among others causing pregnancy complications and abortions. Brucellosis gives rise to infertility and abortions. Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic condition that results in a poor calf crop, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, coughing, diarrhoea, pneumonia, and ultimately death. In severe cases, infected animals must be slaughtered as several of these diseases can also be transmitted to humans.
Municipalities face legal action
According to McNamara, the presence of livestock on town-owned land and even within municipal residential areas has grown significantly in recent years. Faced with the challenges this created, Agri Eastern Cape was compelled to seek legal remedy.
The carrying capacity of Ndlambe Municipality’s land allows for approximately 200 animals. However, a 2016 census recorded 1 500 animals grazing on land adjacent to beef and dairy cattle farms. The R72 road, which runs through this area, has witnessed multiple collisions between vehicles and livestock, some resulting in fatalities.
Despite court orders issued since 2016 to address the situation, the municipality failed to comply. The matter was eventually settled in the High Court, which directed the municipality to establish a system of traceability and responsible land ownership within five months, ensuring livestock owners adhere to relevant legislation. However, the municipality has failed to implement these measures. As a result, contempt of court proceedings have now been initiated against the municipal manager, with hearings expected in early 2026.
Two similar applications have been lodged in Middelburg and Komga in the Eastern Cape, where circumstances mirror those in Ndlambe. McNamara made it clear that Agri Eastern Cape does not oppose livestock farming in communal areas or on town-owned land. Rather, it advocates for orderly and responsible livestock ownership.
Municipalities are legally obligated to protect their residents, which includes monitoring the movement and presence of livestock within their jurisdiction. Meeting requirements for animal traceability and proper marking is essential to support veterinary services in carrying out their duties effectively.
Control of stray animals
Effective disease control is impossible when unidentified animals enter an area and quickly disappear without anyone knowing where they came from or where they are going. This creates a cycle that must be broken and demands decisive action.
McNamara notes that serious problems also exist on so-called land reform farms, where livestock roam freely and there is little or no oversight of the people using the land. In these cases, the department responsible for the land transfer should ensure that an appropriate control system is implemented.
Unmarked stray animals are a nationwide concern, but the greatest challenge arises in residential areas with town-owned or communal land. Producers whose properties border these areas invest heavily in fencing to keep stray animals off their land. However, because not all residents keep livestock – many instead cultivate vegetable gardens – these gardens are fenced off for protection. Often, the producers’ boundary fences are used for this purpose, inadvertently giving stray animals access to the farms. This not only results in the loss of grazing but also increases the risk of transmitting infectious diseases.
General risks
Livestock theft is common on farms bordering communal land. Thieves often allow stolen cattle to roam freely on these lands for a day or two before moving them elsewhere. Since most animals cannot be identified, there is little control over which animals belong in these areas.
Another consequence of this issue is frequent road accidents. Incidents involving stray livestock are reported almost weekly on national and main roads passing through these areas and, in most cases, the animals’ owners cannot be traced.
Impounding stray animals offers a temporary solution, McNamara says. Strict regulations govern the impoundment process, and unclaimed animals may be sold after seven days to recover costs. However, reports suggest that livestock is often stolen from impoundment camps, sometimes by owners unwilling to pay the holding fees. In other cases, pound managers have faced threats from communities when attempting to impound cattle.
McNamara concludes that the only viable path forward is to take a firm stand and, given that the problem continues to escalate, hold those responsible for maintaining lawful livestock ownership accountable. – Andries Gouws, Plaas Media
Contact Brent McNamara at ceo@agriec.co.za or 084 819 0291 for more information.
