Cape Town - Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said there was no need for national legislation to regulate the slaughtering of animals in urban areas for customary purposes.
Dlamini Zuma was responding in writing to written questions from EFF MP Khanya Ceza when he asked about action taken by her department to introduce national legislation to rescind discriminatory by-laws relating to permits often required in municipalities to slaughter animals for customary purposes in urban areas.
In her response, the minister said government has not introduced additional legislation on the slaughtering of animals in urban areas for customary purposes.
“These practices are currently guided by municipal by-laws and guidelines which are also informed by the Abattoirs Hygiene Act,” she said.
However, Dlamini Zuma said the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities has released a guidelines report on the African ritual of animal slaughter.
“The report notes, amongst others, that seeking a municipality’s permission to slaughter should be encouraged and approached as a courtesy as no municipality may refuse an individual’s right to slaughter animals,” she said.
Dlamini Zuma also said municipal by-laws existed to ensure that the slaughtering of animals was not done in an inhumane manner and took into consideration applicable health requirements as well as the rights of others.
The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities has in recent work reviewed the impact of by-laws on the slaughtering of animals for cultural and religious purposes in eight metros.
She said the commission observed that the time period for application for slaughtering of animals in some of the metropolitan municipalities needed to be revised to accommodate slaughtering for funerals.
“Similarly, the commission found that in other municipalities, the by-laws need to be made more explicit when it comes to expectations regarding slaughtering in a residential area.
“As part of its intervention to assist, the commission is arranging to meet with these municipalities to take these matters forward.”
Dlamini Zuma also said based on the work of the commission and its on-going engagements with affected municipalities, the department believed that it may not be necessary to promulgate national legislation at this stage.
“However, in the meantime where communities feel that they face discrimination when they want to slaughter for cultural purpose, they may liaise with the CRL Rights Commission for the necessary assistance.”
Cape Times