The sub-programme Veterinary Public Health promotes food safety.
Contact Person: Dr Victor Arthur on 053 839 7807.

Veterinary Public Health

The passion that this sub-programme approaches extension work to schools is commendable.The unit also managed to to strengthen ties with other relevant steak-holders in the public-health fraternity, in a form of the Provincial Outbreak Response Team (PORT) which subsequently led to District Outbreak Respons Team (DORT) being resuscitated.The unit believes that such forums create a conducive environment for collective approach to public health issues and will also re-enforce its mandate in terms of food-safety and in particular the Meat Safety Act.

Slaughter statistics are collected from all abbatoirs to monitor how many animals are slaughtered in the province and what condition they are in.Abbatoirs are allocated a maximum output that they can slaughter per day based on the size of the cooling facilities,handling facilities and other structural factors.Other species are picking up,poultry slaughtering is steadily coming down.The reasons for such a decline are mainly due to the economics of this commodity in relation to global markets.


There is a prohibition of slaughtering of animals for commercial purposes at any place other than an abattoir according to the Meat Safety Act, Act 40 of 2000.A famous butcher just outside Kimberley is well known for circumventing the law when it comes to this aspect.This palce is registered as a butchery but is well known to slaugter for people from loca areas.Working with Sol Plaatjie Municipality and the SAPS,Veterinary Public Officers descended on this place and a written understanding was signed with the owner that no live animals will be slaughtered at this facility.