Al Mawashi and the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) are at loggerheads after the animal welfare organisation said more than 6 000 sheep were not herded onto the Al Messilah ship that docked at the East London Harbour last Tuesday due to various health reasons.
On Friday afternoon, the ship left the harbour with just over 51 000 live animals onboard.
According to the NSPCA, in preparation for the vessel's arrival, a team travelled to the feedlot owned by the Bruce Page Family Trust last week where they inspected the condition of the animals and identified serious welfare concerns.