Tied to a pole with a short rope under the blistering sun, deprived of water, food or shade, and subjected to a ruthless beating by a group of young boys – a case of animal cruelty in Madadeni, Newcastle has laid bare not only a disturbing erosion of compassion among the community’s youth, but also serious deficiencies in the enforcement of Newcastle Municipality bylaws regarding roaming livestock and horse welfare.
Speaking to Newcastillian News, Newcastle SPCA Inspector Jenavieve Tinkler recounted that on Friday, 26 November 2025, the organisation received an urgent call from a Madadeni resident who had witnessed a group of teenagers leading away two horses with ropes before brutally assaulting the animals with sticks and other blunt objects.
“When a colleague and I arrived at the scene, we found one of the horses tied to a pole with a short rope, with one of the youth still beating the poor horse. Initially, no one wanted to provide us with information on who the horse belonged to, nor did they provide details on the youngsters involved in the incident,” Tinkler said, adding that the situation soon darkened further.
While she questioned bystanders, a group of youths approached wearing a single glove on each hand and white ‘face paint’. “They demanded to know what we were doing there, and when we explained, they became rather aggressive, which led me to contact the Police and the SAPS Stock Theft Unit, as well as Ithemba Security.”
Within minutes, both Ithemba Security and the Stock Theft Unit arrived, prompting the group to scatter and flee before they could be apprehended.
“We took the horse to a place of safety, where we ensured he was not injured, and we were then able to trace the owner, with the Newcastle Pound, releasing the horse back into his possession. However, the Newcastle SPCA will be following up with the horse’s owner to establish the environment in which the animal lived, and to ensure those responsible cannot attempt to steal and harm the horse again,” Tinkler explained.
Although the horse has now been spared further violence at the hands of Madadeni youth, Tinkler stressed that incidents of animal abuse and horse cruelty in Newcastle could be prevented through stricter enforcement of existing municipal bylaws. She noted that Newcastle Municipality regulations explicitly prohibit keeping livestock in residential areas and require owners to secure horses, cattle and goats so they cannot wander onto public roads.
“Livestock such as horses and cows can often be seen walking around the streets in Newcastle, and this is not only against the bylaws, but it endangers both the lives of the animals and the lives of community members travelling along our local roads. Something needs to be done before the animals and innocent people are hurt. You cannot own a horse or a cow, keep it in your backyard during the night and then just let it walk out of your yard the next day to graze, it poses a risk to the animal, and to other people,” she emphasised.
From Barry Hertzog Park to Lennoxton, Madadeni, Ncandu Park and beyond, roaming horses, stray cattle and loose goats remain a daily hazard across Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal.
Yet authorities appear unable to curb the persistent problem of free-roaming livestock, despite having powers to impound stray animals at the Newcastle Pound.
Councillor Bertie Meiring, chairperson of the Newcastle Municipality’s Portfolio Committee for Development Planning and Human Settlement, attributed the ongoing livestock problem to indifferent owners, reluctant residents, and insufficient municipal resources.
“One of the constraints we have at the moment when it comes to implementing the livestock issue in residential areas and these animals walking on the roads, is that the Newcastle Municipality does not have enough hands at the moment. However, livestock owners do not care. There is a gentleman in town, whose goats and cattle often get loose near the intersection of Impala Drive and the Memel Road, and this is a busy road where there are cars and trucks passing by on a regular basis, and when this man’s livestock is impounded and he is fined, he simply pays the fine and continues doing the same,” Cllr Meiring said.
He added that, despite numerous near-misses on Newcastle roads involving stray horses and cattle, formal complaints remain rare. “We need residents to report incidents such as this, as livestock in town not only creates a health risk, but one also has to think about where the herders use the bathroom; do they go alongside the road? And then there is the road safety aspect, as these animals could cause a collision, resulting in people and the animals getting hurt.”
Cllr Meiring is now urging Newcastle and Madadeni residents to immediately report roaming livestock, stray horses or loose cattle so municipal teams and the Newcastle Pound can intervene. “We will send people out to check, and the animals can be sent to the Newcastle Pound,” he stressed.
The brutal assault on a majestic horse in Madadeni was not an isolated act of youthful malice; it was the predictable outcome of a long-standing refusal to enforce clear municipal bylaws. When livestock are routinely permitted to wander residential streets and public roads in defiance of regulations, animals become easy targets for cruelty by morons, while motorists and pedestrians face constant danger. The incident serves as a grim reminder that tolerance of one form of lawlessness inevitably breeds others.
Newcastle Municipality has the legal mechanisms — including impoundment authority, fines, and zoning regulations — to address the ongoing issue of roaming livestock. At the same time, residents must play their part by promptly reporting stray animals to municipal officials and law enforcement, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.
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