36/1/4/1/200900175
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 1448
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 25 SEPTEMBER 2009
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 18 - 2009)
Date reply submitted : 7 December 2009
Mr G R Morgan (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:
(1) Whether the SA Police Service keeps statistics on dogs poisoned by
criminals; if not, why not; if so, (a) how many dogs were poisoned by
criminals (i) in 2008 and (ii) during the period 1 January 2009 up to
the latest specified date for which information is available and (b)
what is the provincial breakdown of this figure;
(2) whether the SAPS has taken any action against the sale of specific
poisons used by criminals to poison dogs; if not, why not; if so, what
are the relevant details;
(3) whether the SAPS has engaged with the Department of Agriculture about
any specific agricultural poisons that may require improved regulation
to make it more difficult for criminals to use these poisons; if not,
why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
NW1806E
REPLY:
1) The crime code list at present employed by the South African Police
Service does not provide for a specific crime code for information
pertaining to cases in which dogs were poisoned by criminals. The Animals
Protection Act (Act 71/1962) does not individualize specific animals.
Correspondence will have to be directed to all police stations involved
country-wide in an effort to determine whether such cases appear on their
records and the nature and status of each case, thereby placing an extra
burden on limited human and financial resources. Members will have to be
withdrawn from other duties to be specifically allocated to peruse
dockets and registers.
Even if returns are received from the provinces after such an exercise,
the information cannot be verified without physical inspection at all the
affected stations.
(2) Yes, a Nodal Point was established at the Stock Theft Unit: Detective
Service, Head Office on 2007-01-01 for the compiling of a policy and
the monitoring there of. The nodal point coordinates
complaints/enquiries regarding the illegal possession and misuse of
poison received from the various stakeholders.
(3) Yes, SAPS has engaged the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries as well as the other stakeholders to establish the Chemical
Crime Management Forum (CCMF) to handle the illegal possession and
misuse of poison. The following stakeholders are involved:
- South African Police Service
- National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals(NSPCA)
- Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT)
- Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries
- Poison Working Group (PWG)
- Department of Water and Environmental Affairs
- Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
- Chemical Consultants (Beyer)
- Department of Health
Reply to question 1448 approved/not approved