Mnr die Voorsitter, dit is vir my 'n besondere voorreg om vandag aan hierdie debat te kan deelneem, juis in die tyd dat ons so bewus geword het van bek-en-klou-seer, en ek wil graag ook namens ons hier in die Wes-Kaap die agb Adjunkminister en minister Didiza bedank vir die wonderlike wyse waarop hulle die aansien van Suid-Afrika in die landbou spesifiek bevorder het met die wyse waarop hulle hierdie hele bek-en-klou- seeraangeleentheid gehanteer het.
Ons glo dit sal binnekort heeltemal onder beheer wees, maar ons harte gaan uit na daardie boere wat geweldige skade gely het, en dit het 'n mens se hart geroer om te sien hoe hulle werklik gehuil het toe hulle moes toesien dat hulle vee geslag word. Ons wil die Adjunkminister en die departement en elke veearts bedank wat daar hulle bydrae gelewer het.
Die Adjunkminister het weer eens in sy toespraak die belangrikheid daarvan genoem dat ons genoeg veeartse in Suid-Afrika moet h, want daar was alreeds kommer dat ons staatsveeartse besig is om minder te word, en ons wil hom bedank daarvoor dat hy en die Ministerie die belangrikheid daarvan insien, want in 'n landbouland soos Suid-Afrika kan ons dit nie bekostig om nie genoeg veeartse te h nie. Ons wil hom bedank daarvoor.
Vleis, hetsy dit rooivleis, wildsvleis, witvleis of enige ander tipe vleis soos konyne, perde, of wat ook al is, is vir ons 'n belangrike bron van voedsel in Suid-Afrika. Vleis is egter ook 'n draer van siektes soos ons nou in menige toespraak gehoor het, en dit kan ernstige siektes aan die mensdom oordra. Die ondersoek van slagdiere voor en tydens ons slagproses is gevolglik noodsaaklik om te verseker dat slegs gesonde diere geslag word, en wel op 'n menslike wyse, sodat die vleis en ander vleisprodukte heilsaam sal wees vir die publiek en sonder besoedeling aan hulle voorsien sal word.
Daarom is dit van die uiterste belang dat daar 'n higinestandaard en riglyne om dit te handhaaf aan 'n slagfasiliteit en die personeel gestel word wat tydens die slagting en verwerking van die produkte diens doen. Dit is ook noodsaaklik dat riglyne in wetgewing vervat moet word ten opsigte van die geboue en toerusting wat in hierdie slagproses gebruik word.
Die Wes-Kaap beskik tans oor 98 geregistreerde abattoirs wat gegradeer is volgens die aantal diere wat per dag geslag kan word. Hierdie abattoirs is ongelooflik duur en hoogs gesofistikeerd, en is opgerig volgens Wet 121 van 1992. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Ms A ROSSOUW: Mr Chairman, it is an exceptional privilege for me to take part in this debate today, precisely at the time that we have become so aware of foot-and-mouth disease, and I would also, on behalf of us here in the Western Cape, like to thank the hon the Deputy Minister and Minister Didiza for the wonderful manner in which they specifically promoted the prestige of South Africa in agriculture with the way in which they handled this entire foot-and-mouth disease issue.
We believe that it will shortly be completely under control, but our hearts go out to those farmers who suffered tremendous losses, and it moved one to see them actually crying when they had to watch their cattle being slaughtered. We want to thank the Deputy Minister and the department and each and every veterinary surgeon who made a contribution there.
The Deputy Minister once again in his speech mentioned the importance of our having an adequate number of veterinary surgeons in South Africa, because there has already been concern that our state veterinary surgeons are declining in number, and we want to thank him and the Ministry for realising the importance of this, because in an agricultural country like South Africa we cannot afford not to have enough veterinary surgeons. We want to thank him for that.
Meat, whether it is red meat, game, white meat or any other kind of meat such as rabbits, horses, or whatever, is an important source of food in South Africa. Meat is also a carrier of diseases, however, as we have now heard in many a speech, and it can transmit serious diseases to humans. Examination of slaughter animals before and during the slaughtering process is therefore essential to ensure that only healthy animals are slaughtered, and in fact in a humane manner, so that the meat and other products would be beneficial to the public and provided to them free of contamination.
That is why it is extremely important that slaughtering facilities and the personnel who are on duty during the slaughtering process should be subject to a standard of hygiene, and the guidelines to maintain it, during slaughtering and processing of the products. It is also essential that guidelines in respect of the buildings and equipment used in the slaughtering process should be entrenched in legislation.
The Western Cape at present has 98 registered abattoirs that are graded according to the number of animals that can be slaughtered per day. These abattoirs are unbelievably expensive and highly sophisticated, and erected in terms of Act 121 of 1992.]
The cost of these facilities and the management expected to be in place can only be achieved by larger municipalities. Animals for slaughter have to be transported long distances, which creates stress situations and the loss of meat due to injuries. This Bill aims to rectify these shortcomings by supporting a more holistic approach to meat safety. The affordability of meat hygiene services is addressed, bringing more entrepreneurs into the meat production chain. It also seeks to accommodate the needs of our diverse society and to stimulate a collective commitment to establishing a culture of hygiene and meat safety awareness.
Daar is 'n toenemende neiging om vee op plase te slag en die vleis dan per voorafbestelling aan dorpenaars te voorsien. Die slagting vind plaas sonder enige inspeksie van diere vooraf of die inspeksie van vleis om siektetoestande op te spoor. Die slagting vind ook plaas in fasiliteite wat nie noodwendig beskik oor die noodsaaklike geriewe van skoon water en vloerspasie om besoedeling te voorkom nie. Dikwels is daar ook 'n gebrek aan verkoeling van hierdie geslagte karkasse.
Die vervoer van vleis is heel dikwels ook sonder verkoeling. As boervrou sal ek nooit die eerste prentjie van my buurvrou op die plaas vergeet nie waar sy sommer daar onder die peperboom die vel van die skaap staan en afknie het. Dit is 'n gebruik wat miskien meer dikwels nog op ons plase voorkom. Om hierdie ongesonde toestande die hoof te bied, asook dieselfde wantoestande van slagtings wat ook meer dikwels in ons informele woongebiede rondom ons groot stede geskied, is dit van die allergrootste belang dat ons kleiner abattoirs moet wettig om voorsiening te maak vir die nodige inspeksie en hierdie voorligtingsdiens. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[There is an increasing tendency to slaughter cattle on farms and to provide the people living in towns with meat that has been previously ordered. The slaughter takes place without any prior inspection of the animals or the meat to detect diseases in the meat. The slaughtering also takes place in conditions that do not necessarily have the required facilities of clean water and floor space to prevent contamination. There is often a lack of refrigeration of these slaughtered carcasses.
The transportation of meat very often also takes place without refrigeration. As a farming woman I will never forget the first picture of my neighbour on the farm, where she simply stood under the pepper tree, skinning the sheep. This is a custom that one perhaps still often encounters on our farms. To eliminate these unhealthy conditions, as well as similar slaughtering conditions that more often occur in our informal settlements around our large cities, it is of the utmost importance that we should legalise smaller abattoirs to provide for the necessary inspection and this extension service.]
The main objects of this Bill are to provide ways and means for the supplying of disease-free and healthy meat and meat products to all levels of the population, to protect personnel working on the facilities against bodily harm and infections, and to provide for the humane handling and slaughter of animals, as well as providing for minimum standards of quality and wholesomeness of fresh raw meat, processed meat and meat products for one's own use and for sale to the public. But very important is also the training of abattoir owners and the managers and personnel of facilities, and all aspects of the maintenance of hygiene standards before, during and after the slaughter process. The Bill proposes to create a wider scope of responsibilities attached to the concept of meat safety, rather than just abattoir hygiene.
Die titel van hierdie wetsontwerp verwys daarom na die veiligheid van vleis teenoor die bestaande konsep van abattoirhigine. Veilige vleis sal dus almal in die produksieketting se verantwoordelikheid word en nie net die personeel van abattoirs s'n nie.
'n Belangrike klemverskuiwing in die wetsontwerp teenoor die bestaande wetgewing is die voorsiening om private instansies te kan magtig om deel te h aan die vleisinspeksieproses. Dit sal die staat in staat stel om sonder ekstra personeel op sy diensstaat 'n meer volledige diens te lewer. Beamptes kan dus die belangrike moniteringswerk en wetstoepassing meer doeltreffend uitvoer sonder bykomstige indiensneming van personeel.
Daar sal nie 'n uitbreiding van personeel of finansile implikasies vir die provinsies wees nie aangesien die huidige infrastruktuur wel voldoende is. Daar word egter voorsien dat daar 'n toename in beamptes nodig sal wees namate die aantal geregistreerde fasiliteite toeneem.
Die Wetsontwerp op die Veiligheid van Vleis maak voorsiening daarvoor om die beskikbaarheid van gesonde en heilsame vleis en vleisprodukte uit te brei na 'n baie groter deel van ons gemeenskap. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The title of this Bill for that reason makes reference to the safety of meat as opposed to the existing concept of abattoir hygiene. Safe meat will therefore become the responsibility of everyone in the production chain and not only that of the abattoir personnel.
An important shift in emphasis in the Bill, in contrast to the existing legislation, is the provision of empowering private institutions to take part in the inspection process. This will enable the state to render a more complete service without extra personnel on its staff establishment. Officials can therefore perform the important monitoring work and law enforcement more effectively, without employing additional personnel.
There will be no expansion of staff or financial implications for the provinces as the present infrastructure is in fact adequate. It is expected, however, that an increase in officials will be required as the number of registered facilities increases.
The Meat Safety Bill provides for the extension of the availability of healthy and wholesome meat and meat products to a much larger section of our community.]
This Bill aims to do away with considerations of cost as a determining factor in obtaining safe meat. Proper meat-handling practices and the existence of hygiene awareness among all levels of the community are of cardinal importance for meat safety - not the consideration of cost. Safe meat must no longer be out of the reach of poorer people because of the lack of money.