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SPCA confiscates 900 chickens
05/10/2007 10:03 - (SA)
Ara Atson, Die Burger
Cape Town - The SPCA confiscated about 900 chickens from vendors in Philippi on Thursday.
Chaos erupted after 10 heavily armed members of the metro police reaction unit and SPCA-members cracked down on chicken stalls at the corner of Weltevreden and Landsdowne Road.
"God, it stresses me. You can't mix the chickens, we don't have just one boss!" shouted one worker.
"Where's your warrant?" another wanted to know.
Andries Venter, chief inspector of the SPCA, said he had issued several warnings regarding the poor conditions in which the chickens were kept. "They don't have food, water or shelter."
The chickens, which are sold at R25 a head, will be held at the SPCA in Grassy Park to give the owners the opportunity to improve the condition of the cages.
Until now the visibly neglected chickens have been sitting in the afternoon sun in metal cages and crates.
Venter said the SPCA had been monitoring the chicken vendors for nearly five years.
"The chickens are bought from big businesses usually when they stop laying eggs. They are resold here."
"You are taking the food from our mouths. What are my children going to eat tonight?" an upset worker, Menzi Mdamani, 45, wanted to know.
Three owners were running their businesses from here.
"Tell me what to do to get my chickens back, and I'll do it," said Christo Schultz, 37, one of the owners.
Showket Mooarey, 38, another businessman, has run his business from here for the past 17 years. "This is bad. People are robbing and pestering us all day long, and now this too. Why were the police armed? For chickens?" he wanted to know.
Mooarey watched helplessly while R20 000 worth of stock was loaded into an SCPA vehicle. "Those are three days' sales. I must pay my workers R500 a week."
Some of the chickens, that had hardly enough space to move, started pecking at each other's feet. Two had died in the cages.
Naliswa Nondala, 27, from Samora Machel, told with tears in her eyes that 12 chickens she had bought from Lasco Chickens, were also confiscated. "I paid R180 for them, and then they took them. I wanted to slaughter them as food."
According to Venter the chickens would be returned to the owners after seven days if they could ensure that their poultry would be better taken care of in future.
- Die Burger
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