South Africans rally against live animal exports: urgent call to action
Image: Animal Welfare Foundation
In a powerful mobilization against the proposed live animal export regulations announced by the Department of Agriculture (DoA) on 11 July, Stop Live Export South Africa (SLESA) and Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) are calling on citizens to make their voices heard.
They said these draft regulations threaten to continue the controversial practice of transporting live animals by sea, which SLESA categorically condemned it as unjust, inhumane, and economically misguided..
Founded in February 2024, SLESA is a coalition of South Africans including social justice and animal welfare organisations committed to the abolition of live animal exports. With support from over 50 groups and a growing number of individual advocates, the organization focuses on education and advocacy to combat the suffering inflicted on animals through this trade.
An SLESA spokesperson asserted the urgency for public involvement, stating: 'These regulations cannot be passed without scrutiny. We need a significant, united public response to ensure a rigorous consultation process - one that includes the South African public and all animal welfare organisations. We only have until 25 August to submit objections. The time to act is now.'
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Sheep transport
Image: Animal Welfare Foundation
Despite a joint request from SLESA and FOUR PAWS South Africa in December 2024 aiming to implement a ban, the DoA has continued to pursue its regulatory framework. Dr Anndrea Yelliah, the Deputy Director for Primary Animal Health Care, maintained that animal transport must consider welfare and confirmed that guidelines are undergoing formal regulation. However, SLESA argues that live export by sea can never align with humane treatment due to significant suffering and lack of monitoring once animals are in transit.
The inadequacies of oversight were glaringly visible in February 2024, when a vessel known as the 'Kuwaiti Death Ship,' transporting 19,000 cattle, docked in Cape Town. NSPCA inspectors reported appalling conditions with animals standing in knee-deep faeces, leading to several requiring euthanasia.
A cow covered in faeces onboard a ship docked at Cape Town harbour
Image: NSPCA
SLESA refutes the government's assertion that live export serves as an economic boon, arguing that such claims obscure the reality that most exported livestock are owned by wealthier commercial farmers and not the small-scale or emerging farmers purportedly benefiting. Transporting unfit animals over great distances leads to unnecessary injuries and heightened suffering.
'Pain for profit is not a just or sustainable model,' the spokesperson said, highlighting the long-term impacts on both animal welfare and South Africa's international reputation. SLESA draws comparisons to several other countries, such as New Zealand and Germany, which have banned or are phasing out live exports, and urges South Africa to follow their lead.
CIWF, instrumental in the UK live export ban, echoes SLESA's concerns, with Alexis Olds, Head of Southern Africa, stating: 'The export of live animals is an inhumane and unnecessary trade that needs to end. There is no justifiable reason to expose these sentient beings to this type of treatment.'
One of the fundamental issues raised by SLESA is the proposal for the DoA to appoint its monitors under the draft regulations, which creates a possible conflict of interest and challenges the effectiveness of animal welfare safeguards. Moreover, the countries importing South African livestock often uphold substantially lower welfare standards, leaving animals vulnerable to cruel treatment and inhumane slaughter methods once they leave South African jurisdiction.
'This trade sends our animals into the unknown, where cruelty is not the exception but the norm,' warned SLESA. 'No regulation can safeguard their welfare once they leave our shores. That's why this trade must be outlawed, not regulated.'
"We only have until 25 August to submit our objections and SLESA and CIWF invite citizens to draw upon scientific research from esteemed sources like the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), highlighting the animosity of live export conditions - including stress, overcrowding, and disease risks. They underscore that regardless of regulatory frameworks, the inherent cruelty of live export cannot be eradicated through legislation.
'These horrors are not glitches in the system; they are inherent to the process,' continued the spokesperson.
'We must demand a total ban, and now is the time to use our collective voice to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.'
For those looking to engage with the movement, further details on the regulations and submission guidelines can be found on the SLESA website. Citizens are urged to submit their comments via email at VPH@Dalrrd.gov.za or through the Dear South Africa platform before the 12pm deadline on 25 August 2025.
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