KENNEL UNION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (KUSA)
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2024

For the KUSA Office, and for the elected Federal Council of KUSA, the year 2024 was like being on a never-ending rollercoaster ride, dominated by two major unforeseen projects. These projects had a severe impact on KUSA’s day-to-day operations and often necessitated a hasty redeployment of especially the new staff members appointed earlier in the year.

I’ll briefly reflect on these two key projects:

1. On 23 March 2024, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALLRD) issued a Directive that, with effect from 1 April 2024, the importation and exportation of live animals and genetic material of animals, would be subject to the acquisition of a permit issued in terms of the Animal Improvement Act (AIA). On 10.04.2024, a KUSA Statement on the DALRRD Directive was placed on the website, alerting members to the situation and informing them that KUSA was in the process of establishing, as had been requested by several members, whether the Directive was applicable to dogs. By then, KUSA had already set up a meeting with the DALRRD to obtain clarity on the Directive.

Consultation with the DALRRD revealed that dogs were very much included. Excluded were game and/or wild animals, cats, birds and fish. Having established that the Directive included dogs, KUSA notified the Membership on 19.04.2024 of the required “Compliance with the Animal Improvement Act No. 62 of 1998 – Importation of Dogs into SA from 1 April 2024”. On the same date, the DALRRD also issued a “Media Statement” to clarify the new requirements under the AIA.