Charity Urges DALRRD Director-General Ramasodi to Mandate Webcams in All Shearing Sheds

Pretoria – Two explosive PETA investigations have revealed systemic cruelty in South Africa’s wool and mohair industries, including the abuse of sheep on a NATIVA- and Responsible Wool Standard–certified farm, as well as goats on farms certified by the Responsible Mohair Standard. In response, PETA has sent a letter to Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Director-General Mooketsa Ramasodi, calling on him to take immediate action by mandating the installation of live-streaming web cameras in all shearing sheds across the country. PETA has also called on the director-general to personally view footage from sheep- and goat-shearing operations.

Despite recent footage exposing extreme cruelty and violence, the wool and mohair industries have failed to address this widespread and entrenched abuse, including on farms marketed as “humane” and “responsible”. Live-streaming the goings-on inside all South African shearing sheds would help farm owners hold shearers accountable across both industries.

 An image from PETA’s footage of a NATIVA-certified wool operation in South Africa. Photo: PETA

“In South Africa’s wool industry, sheep are kicked, struck in the face with shearing equipment, and left bleeding from untreated wounds. In the mohair industry, goats are beaten, jabbed, and dragged by their tails, and any industry representative who claims not to know about it needs to have their eyes checked,” says PETA President Jason Baker. “PETA is calling on the South African government to mandate the use of web cameras in all shearing sheds in order to hold farms accountable, since the industry seems incapable of doing so itself.”

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” – points out that Every Animal Is Someone. For more information, please visit PETAAsia.com or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.