29 Jan 2018

The draft Matimela Bill of 2017 is envisaged to modernise the Matimela Act for better delivery of Matimela and improved cost recovery.

This was said by Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso.

Presenting the Draft Matimela Bill of 2017 to Ntlo Ya Dikgosi on January 29, she said the proposed draft Bill endeavored to mainstream the Matimela Act into current policies by aligning it with current legislation.

Ms Tshireletso briefed Dikgosi that the ministry took the decision to re-enact the Bill with some amendments as it became apparent that some clauses of the act were too extensive and detrimental to the quality of the legislation.

She said under the draft amendment Bill, matters relating to Matimela employees will be addressed so that they will be subject to the provisions of the Public Service Act.

She said the proposed amendments of the Bill also removed some of the words such as Kgosi to make it gender neutral.

She said the Bill has undertaken measures to differentiate a person colleting matimela on behalf of council from someone with criminal intent, and also provides that should council deem it necessary, it may outsource collection of matimela and such out-sourcing shall be done by way of verifiable instructions from council.

“I am confident that this should dispel any confusion, should the event arise,” she said.

The draft bill has removed all provisions that make reference to AC-branded which provisions granted different provisions to animals sole branded and that under the current dispensation all animals will be subject to the same treatment.

Further, she said in an effort to promote efficiency in the management of matimela, the Bill has shortened from 30 to 14 days the time for Kgosi to relay to council presence of matimela reported to them

The proposed amendments also shortened from 30 to 14 days the period which council is mandated to collect matimela and also reduced from 14 to five working days for matimela officer to notify council of matimela in their custody so that ultimately the public is notified.

She said the draft Bill has established a 14-day period within which the owner of an animal placed in matimela facility may pay prescribed fees to get back his or her animal.

Should the said period elapse, she said the animal would be deemed to have been abandoned and shall be sold accordingly.

The Bill also seeks to reduce from three to six months the period within which the owner may claim an animal, but should it elapse without anyone coming forward, the animal will be deemed to have been abandoned and shall be sold accordingly.

She, however, said an amendment has been made to give a farmer an opportunity to claim the animal a day before the sale of matimela at a specified time.

The proposed draft Bill also increased penalties for offences committed from an amount not exceeding P500 to an amount not exceeding P1 000.

She said the ministry is steadfast on the position that livestock just like property should be in the control of the owner and that such responsibility should include that cattle do not stray. ENDS