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On July 23rd 2014, ENCA ran a story about informal meat vendors in Nyanga and an attitude of SPCA towards them. What is most worrying is an intention by SPCA to shutdown an unregulated meat business because of the conditions where animals are slaughtered.

SPCA claims that the market of meat vendors is illegally and unhygienic, also having the animals slaughtered in an open air. Adding to the SPCA observation which in all its opportunistic is an intervention by the City of Cape Town to have mobile abattoirs in the area in mitigating the situation, quickly this really came as a shocking action for me knowing the meat served in those vendors.

The meat vendors defended themselves explaining how we as consumers of the meat love it that the way it Is done, again to me this came in various forms as I attempted to interact with it, in this case you have this NPO which has noble intentions of protecting animals, the SPCA now acts in terms of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962 as. The act provides for the protection of animals from any and all instances where harm has or may come to the animal when a prohibited action, such as the confining of an animal to a room with poor ventilation, is committed”.

Let’s take note, an NPO formed in 1872, almost centuries ago to primarily protect animals within white communities, because really for ages when my forefathers leaved with animals they probably died without knowing this organization, but they protected animals themselves and kept many kinds of animals, from dogs, cats, to their cattle’s .

One of the reason these people who are consumers there enjoy the meat is because of its originality or the fact that it is fresh and slaughtered now and one can then immediately have it as a“braai”, that’s if the word “braai” – really fits in description of the way the meat is prepared, and probably one would prefer“umojo”as the precise descriptive word.

We all should note that this is not a first case of SPCA against locals, this once happened with the former Chief of the ANC Tony Yengeni when he slaughtered as he wasreleased from prison in 2007 and to quote a spokesperson of SPCA then Andries Venter he said "I am horrified to find out that Tony Yengeni stabbed the bull with a spear before it was killed," and some Jenna Hanslip said“"I was disgusted with the way the bull was tied up. It's clear that the animal was in distress. I know we must respect other people's cultures, but this is barbaric."

Two things at least that we should note in all this action, One the effects this it attempt to close down these meat vendors through regulation , which will be towardslocals that sustain themselves through the selling of this meat, and also the action of the SPCA which disregard the existence of any local authority within these communities, both of the structures which facilitate economic activity in the area in form of “Development forums” or the local authority in respect to the local councillors in the area.

An act in starting a business in this form costs very less currently in communities that sustain themselves mainly through social security schemes provided by government, than it would be when the is a need for a Mobile Abattoir. As an NPO the SPCA should start to get off its own hoarse and firstly have sessions with locals about the Animals Protection Act and within the understanding of their business locate the application of the Act, because the act speak to different circumstances in different context in respect to Animal protection, and to throw the act in locals which have no understanding of even this act is an abuse to the locals, in all of our understanding of different acts through our educational levels and understanding of evolution of different practices this should not be for class oppression in one form or the other.

As the NPO did in the slaughtering for the President perhaps it could again organize some of its workers to be with the locals and observe the form of slaughtering and assist the locals if necessary, this is a less punitive form of correction in practice than imposing regulation in a context not understood.

Lastly our form of democracy which rest on our constitution present a form of protection of the vulnerable sections within our society and it is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that it remains so, and all laws formed should be in protection of vulnerable sections, perhaps worth to say that the very existence of a constitution is to protect the rights of the vulnerable because the rich can always buy their rights.

In all this, local authorities and communities should continue to reject any regulation in their businesses and ensure that the SPCA with the City officials respects the community and the vendors thereof and their right to do business within their community for their sustenance as community members within their market.