ABOUT 500 livestock owners want the mayor of Mangaung, Free State to provide them with land for their cattle.
They marched to the municipality’s offices on Tuesday and handed over a memorandum addressed to the mayor and officials.
The leader of the livestock owners, Tankiso Phindela, said for 20 years he kept his livestock in his yard but then cops told him it was illegal to keep livestock in the township.
After several warnings he built a kraal and hired a herder.
“Then other people started moving their livestock into the cattle posts,” he said.
“We have problems like a shortage of water at the cattle post. Mangaung Municipality told us the cattle post was temporary and promised to find us farms where we could keep our livestock.”
But years later they are still waiting to be moved.
Tankiso said livestock owners also want livestock owners from Lesotho who share the cattle post with them to be removed so their cattle have enough fodder while they wait for the promised farms.
Sindile Basa said he was unemployed and depended on his livestock which includes pigs, cattle and goats. But the animals often die because they don’t have food.
He said there at least 11 cattle posts in Botshabelo.
“When I moved here 10 years ago the municipality said it was temporary. But when we ask for land they give us another story,” he said.
Mangaung spokesman Qondile Khedama said they were aware of the livestock owners’ demands.
He said he would refer the matter to the relevant department for answers.
