'I don't care whose horse it is!
2009-11-08 22:57
Sarel van der Walt
Cairo - The Egyptian owner of a horse-drawn cart won't be abusing his horse in public again any time soon - especially not when Agri Gauteng chair, André Botha, is in the vicinity.
The horse had been pulling a cart filled with tourists at the pyramids outside the Egyptian capital, when it slipped and fell down a slope on Friday afternoon.
It fell flat on its side on the road, and bystanders had to step in to help it to its feet.
Once back on its feet, the Egyptian owner repeatedly struck it hard over the head with a stick.
It was then that Botha, a former lock for the Transvaal rugby team, stormed over and intervened.
"What do you think you're doing?" he roared at the Egyptian.
"It's my horse, it's my horse and I can do with it what I want!" the Egyptian shouted.
"I don't care whose horse it is. You don't treat a horse like that," Botha said, as he waved his finger in the Egyptian's face.
The situation was defused shortly afterwards.
"I almost assaulted the man; I can't stand animal abuse like that," Botha later said.
Botha had been on a fact-finding mission in Libya with a delegation from AgriSA, and stopped over in Cairo on his way back to South Africa.
- Beeld