A judgment by the Supreme Court of Appeal ended the matter when it found in his favour against the minister of police. Mphale Khoeli, a farmer from the Hobhouse region, had his cattle confiscated by the police in May 2017 for allegedly importing the cattle into South Africa without the necessary permits. The farmer paid an admission of guilt fine, but his cattle were declared as forfeited by the state just days later. In an effort to get his cattle back, Khoeli approached the Magistrate's Court. OFM News' Lee Simmons reports that the judgment of the Magistrate's Court was later set aside in the Free State High Court on the basis that it had no jurisdiction.

The ostrich industry is on high alert following the latest flare up of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) among wild birds in the Western Cape. This was according to Dr Adriaan Olivier, the South African Ostrich Business Chamber’s industry veterinarian. The Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs announced warned last week that cases of the H5N1 virus had been detected among wild seabirds in the Bergrivier Local Municipality, as well as the Walker Bay area in the Overberg region. Neighbouring municipalities had been alerted and urged to be cautious and remain vigilant about the potential spreading of the disease. Teams from the local authorities had been collecting the dead and sick birds under the watchful eyes of veterinarians, the department said in a statement.

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A group of rural women in KwaZulu-Natal have been honoured on International Day of Rural Women by the agri-processing business, Tongaat Hulett, for teaching other women how to overcome challenges of hunger and poverty, and that this responsibility cannot only be left to the government alone. The Obanjani door-to-door support programme, that was established for women by women, has grown from assisting one family to supporting 125 households across the province. Furthermore, Nkonzo Mhlongo, Corporate Affairs Executive at Tongaat Hulett, said that they recognise and salute the Obanjeni women for their role in teaching other women in their communities. She concludes by saying that this will ensure that all women touched by the project will be able to take care of their families for a lifetime.

OFM News