# comments2 - Link: https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/animal-improvement-act/comments2/ - Published: 2026-11-09T11:01:32+02:00 - Author: dearSA _Advert_ _Advert – scroll down_ Displaying the **15** latest comments. [ view more ...](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/animal-improvement-act/comments3/) | Submitted | first-name | support | concern | top-concern | message | | 2026-11-09 18:08:19 +02:00 | Jan | No I do not | 5. Scope Ambiguity & Inclusion of Domestic Companion Pets | | | | 2026-11-09 18:07:10 +02:00 | Allan | No I do not | All of the above | 5. Scope Ambiguity & Inclusion of Domestic Companion Pets | Another money wasting "vanity" project that hampers farmers, citizens, from carrying on their work, enjoyment of their pets, and lumbering them with unnecessary extra costs, as well as potential fines or jail time. I would like to see this implemented in areas where subsistence farmers battle to even make a living | | 2026-11-09 18:06:53 +02:00 | Theunis | No I do not | All of the above | 2. Statutory Conflict & Legislative Misalignment | | | 2026-11-09 18:06:32 +02:00 | Barend | No I do not | 5. Scope Ambiguity & Inclusion of Domestic Companion Pets | | | | 2026-11-09 18:06:31 +02:00 | Paul | No I do not | All of the above | 1. Unlawful Penalties | | | 2026-11-09 18:05:28 +02:00 | Sue | No I do not | All of the above | 5. Scope Ambiguity & Inclusion of Domestic Companion Pets | I OBJECT to the Draft Regulations Relating to Identification of Animals in their current form (Rejects the unconstitutional 2-year prison penalty, statutory conflict with Act 6 of 2002, exclusion of domestic pets, and the punitive, unfunded compliance burden placed on smallholder and communal farmers.) | | 2026-11-09 18:05:28 +02:00 | John | No I do not | 3. Exclusion of Smallholder, Communal, and Emerging Farmers | | | | 2026-11-09 18:04:53 +02:00 | Armand | No I do not | All of the above | 1. Unlawful Penalties | | | 2026-11-09 18:04:50 +02:00 | Martin | No I do not | 1. Unlawful Penalties | | Imposing more rules and doubling down because they are too stupid / incompetent to manage the existing rules is a recipe for failure. We don't need more governmental failures. | | 2026-11-09 18:04:40 +02:00 | david | Not fully | All of the above | 4. Unworkable Timelines, Tag Deactivation & Lack of Transitional Rules | If this is applied correctly it will work but with all the corruption it will be abused by the authorities. | | 2026-11-09 18:04:00 +02:00 | C | No I do not | 2. Statutory Conflict & Legislative Misalignment | | | | 2026-11-09 18:03:44 +02:00 | Gerhard | No I do not | 5. Scope Ambiguity & Inclusion of Domestic Companion Pets | | My dogs and rabits live with me in my house on a farm. They will not be tagged as people do not steal such animals. | | 2026-11-09 18:03:40 +02:00 | Karen | No I do not | All of the above | 5. Scope Ambiguity & Inclusion of Domestic Companion Pets | | | 2026-11-09 18:03:21 +02:00 | Stefanus | No I do not | 1. Unlawful Penalties | | | | 2026-11-09 18:03:05 +02:00 | Paul | Not fully | All of the above | 1. Unlawful Penalties | This needs a bit more thought. What about someone keeping a few chickens and cat or dog.Also 2 years is a bit ludicrous considering the light sentencing given to actual seasoned criminals. | [🟢 What Proponents Say (Department & Export Industry)](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/animal-improvement-act/comments2/#1770892117175-dfc38055-c8382881-c408e943-c317) - _Biosecurity & Disease Traceability_ Double tagging (visual and RFID) and disease-zone colour coding allow veterinary authorities to trace animal movements instantly during Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks, preventing nationwide export bans. - _Stock Theft Mitigation_ Requiring unique identification devices linked directly to registered brand marks and registered holding cards provides law enforcement with definitive proof of ownership to curb rampant stock theft. - _Smallholder & Rural Impact_ A single national database ensures that all livestock in South Africa—regardless of farm size—meets phytosanitary standards, integrating communal farmers into the formal commercial value chain. - _Statutory & Legal Soundness_ Section 28 of Act 62 of 1998 gives the Minister broad executive powers to regulate the identification of declared breeds to ensure genetic purity and herd standards. - _Domestic Pet Inclusion_ Standardising microchips and registration databases protects companion animals, aids recovery, and aligns with international companion animal welfare practices. [🔴 What Opponents Say (Farmers, Legal Watchdogs & Civil Society)](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/animal-improvement-act/comments2/#1770892117205-3c7c32e1-ce3d2881-c408e943-c317) - _Biosecurity & Disease Traceability_ Traceability is vital, but centralising it on the cumbersome INTERGIS system without mobile-first, offline-capable field technology will collapse under rural administrative constraints. - _Stock Theft Mitigation_ Criminal syndicates routinely obliterate tags and falsify papers; penalising legitimate farmers with two years in prison for clerical errors does not stop organised livestock crime syndicates. - _Smallholder & Rural Impact_ Unfunded compliance mandates (costing R150–R275 per head for tags, readers, and registrations) will wipe out profit margins for subsistence and small-scale livestock owners. - _Statutory & Legal Soundness_ Act 62 is a breeding and genetics statute. Applying it universally to all livestock creates an unlawful statutory conflict with the Animal Identification Act 6 of 2002, and the 2-year prison penalty is strictly ultra vires. - _Domestic Pet Inclusion_ Regulating domestic pet dogs and rabbits under an agricultural livestock breeding act is legislative overreach that creates unnecessary public fear of criminal prosecution. [ have your say](https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/animal-improvement-act/#havasay)