THEY wait at the roadside for cars to knock down animals.
Residents of Mathateng, outside Mahikeng in North West, camp next to the road from Mahikeng to Vryburg waiting for dead animals to become their meat.
Animals do cause accidents and damage cars but for this community, dead animal remains matter.
Daily Sun found three men carrying donkey meat on their shoulders which they’d just picked up.
“This is our kids’ meal. It’s healthy but has to be cooked for a long time,” said Piet Letlhogorile.
“Realising there were a lot of dead animals on this road, we saw an opportunity to fill our stomachs.”
He had just cut a full leg off the carcass of a donkey. His neighbour Kagiso Mmutlwe said hunger forced him to hunt for dead animals.
“I have three children. Bringing home this meat makes me feel like a real man,” he said.
Residents said they see many accidents caused by warthogs, donkeys and cows.
“Warthogs and cows are the best,” said Sello Seosengwe.
Asked whether they knew that donkey skin was in demand in China, they said they just needed to feed their families.
The North West government announced in 2016 it would export donkey meat and skin to China.
At the time of going to press, agriculture spokeswoman Emelda Setlhako had not responded to queries Daily Sun sent to her about the project’s progress.
