The Al Kuwait livestock carrier’s arrival in Cape Town in February 2024 exposed the suffering inherent in the live export trade and became the catalyst for the founding of Stop Live Export South Africa.
More than two years later, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has confirmed that the State has declined to prosecute those implicated in the severe animal cruelty documented aboard the vessel.
Crucially, the Director of Public Prosecutions has not disputed that severe cruelty occurred. The decision not to prosecute rests on procedural and jurisdictional obstacles, leaving the suffering of thousands of animals without criminal accountability.
For Stop Live Export SA, this outcome reinforces why our organisation exists. When cruelty can be documented but those responsible cannot be held accountable, the system is failing the animals it is meant to protect. The Al Kuwait was not just the event that brought us together. It remains a powerful reminder of why we continue to campaign for an end to the live export of animals by sea.
Read the full NSPCA statement here
What you can do
Push for an end to live export. Sign our petitions, sign up for our newsletter and join our protests. Make your voice matter!
Join the movement to stay informed
- Sign the Petition to ban live export by sea
- Subscribe to the Stop Live Export SA newsletter
- Facebook: Stop Live Export SA
- Instagram: @stoplxsa
- Website: stopliveexport.co.za
