Neighbour up in arms over animals, flies and the dung

THERE is no friendly backyard banter between two neighbours in Windsorton following a dispute regarding the keeping of livestock in a residential area.

Resident of the small community, Piet Riet, said yesterday that he was forced to live in unhygienic conditions as his neighbour’s kraal, where he keeps his goats and sheep, was situated directly opposite his kitchen door.

The two houses are separated by a fence but the kraal, which is situated in the backyard of the one house, is only a few feet away from Riet’s kitchen door.

“I have been living with this problem for about four years already,” a desperate Riet said yesterday. “I have tried talking to my neighbour on a number of occasions in an attempt to get him to move his livestock but he has not done anything to solve the issue. My house is full of flies.

“We cannot enjoy our food as there is a constant stench of dung hanging in the air. This problem is making our lives very unpleasant and unbearable,” Riet said.

He said he approached his councillor and the municipality for assistance.

“I spoke to the ward councillor and although he promised to help, nothing happened. I then went to the Dikgatlong Municipality and they also promised to get the councillor to resolve the matter. Nothing has changed, however, and I am still struggling with this matter after several years,” he said.

He added that his family’s health was being compromised. “My family has been constantly sick and we have a baby inside the house who is also at risk of contracting an illness. We have to constantly use insect repellent products in order to fight the flies.

“These products are also hazardous to our health as they contain poisonous ingredients,” he said.

The councillor, Boeta Saul, said he had unsuccessfully tried to resolve the matter. “I spoke to the neighbour and informed him that he was not allowed to keep the animals in his backyard. This is not an isolated incident as we also had a similar problem with someone who kept pigs.

“Although farmers are allocated land to keep their animals, they use the excuse that their animals are stolen. Some farmers are arrogant and do not want to negotiate or even attempt to listen to the complaints from nearby residents.

“I will, however, again try to resolve the issue as this problem does not only affect this particular neighbour, but everyone in the street,” Saul said.

There was no answer from the Dikgatlong municipality’s landline yesterday.