Proposed Restoration and Renovation of Vrede Abattoir on Erf 1101, Vrede, within Phumelela Local Municipality, Free State Province.

The project entails the restoration and renovation of Vrede Abattoir on Erf 1101, Vrede, within Phumelela Local Municipality, in the Free State Province.

The applicant is Amanyamande Amahle Holdings (Pty) Ltd (2016/159052/07) which has since identified an opportunity to acquire the assets of Turn and Twist Trading CC, which was trading as KW Abattoir. Twist Trading CC is a close corporation in which Mr Jacobus Cornelius Wessels is a sole member with 100% interest. The abattoir was registered as a low throughput facility licensed to slaughter not more than 15 units of cattle per day. KW Abattoir is disposing of the abattoir after its license expired on 30 June 2019, leading to its de-registration by the Department of Agriculture and Land Reform (DALR). KW Abattoir could not renew the registration due to non-compliance with the Meat Safety Act 40 of 2000 and the Red Meat Regulations N0. 72 of 2004 (the Meat Regulations). At the time of its de-registration, the abattoir had already ceased to operate, leading to job losses.

The non-compliance emanated from the following key operational challenges:
• poor hygiene standards which threatened the safety of consumers and the surrounding environment;
• the building structure that does not conform to the meat safety regulations;
• lack of waste water management plan which posed a threat to the environment.; and
• lack of environmental management plan.

KW Abattoir subsequently failed to make the necessary structural changes to the facility to comply with law governing abattoir operations which required a substantial amount of investment. Mr Wessels, the previous owner has since lost interest in the business and hence the reason for selling the abattoir. According to the MRM Design Studios’s Architectural Technologist the Abattoir building is said to be older than 60 years, hence the application that the applicant has lodged with Free State Provincial Heritage Resources Authority.

An abattoir is simple defined as a place where livestock is slaughtered and prepared for distribution to butcheries and food markets. The applicant is planning to slaughter 60 - 100 units per day i.e. product throughput of red meat exceeding 6 units per day. It has to be added that sheep, pigs and game will also be slaughtered from time to time, although cattle will be the main element.
Province(s): Free State