ABERDEEN NEWS - While animals such as goats and donkeys wandering around the streets of Aberdeen are a great attraction for tourists, local folk with gardens accessible from the street are not impressed when their carefully-nurtured plants and shrubs are devoured.

Goats seem to be a particular problem. Some herds, which are taken to the commonage daily for grazing are generally well-controlled, usually by a group of youngsters with dogs, but anything green growing alongside their route seems to be fair game.

However, the biggest problem is the goats that wander through town without any supervision. Last week, the garden at the Kamdebo Padstal was attacked on several occasions with all the lovingly-tended flowers and herb plants being decimated by goats which had walked purposefully into the fenced area.

Eventually, the staff managed to chase them away, but not until they had destroyed much of the garden. The goats then went in the direction of the busy N9, and there is a real concern that not only are gardens being destroyed, but that these loose roaming animals could cause a serious accident wandering on the road.

"While subsistence and small farmers should be supported, it needs to be in the confines of the municipal law enforcement," DA Proportional Representation Councillor Eldrige Ruiters told the Advertiser. "Many people don't adhere to that, which is of great concern across the Dr Beyers Naudé municipal area."

Ruiters argued that ward councillors, with the help of committee members, should be on top of the issue. "Repeat offenders should be fined."

The councillor encouraged communities to report offenders to the local municipal office, with pictures, if possible. "All role players, Agriculture, SPCA, Municipal law enforcement and Health services, subsistence and small farmers need to collectively nip this in the bud, otherwise it will become uncontrollable."

'We bring you the latest Aberdeen, Karoo news'