eThekwini threatens to stop SPCA funding over focus on 'white areas'

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Durban - The ANC in the eThekwini Municipality has threatened to withdraw the city’s funding to the SPCA, accusing the animal welfare organisation of focusing its services in primarily white areas rather than townships. “We still have dogs in the townships that are loitering all over and you don’t even see their programmes in the townships; it is only happening in the so-called white areas. “If they don’t change their minds we are going to stop this grant. Those are the consequences,” ANC chief whip in eThekwini, Nelly Nyanisa, said. She was speaking during an executive committee (exco) meeting where the committee members deliberated on a three-year memorandum of agreement between the city and the SPCA. The agreement will see the city paying R13.5 million to the SPCA in exchange for the provision of pound services and the collection of stray cats and dogs on behalf of the municipality. Despite debate on the matter, the agreement was approved by exco.

A report tabled at exco states that in the 2017/18 financial year the SPCA collected and treated 12274 strays at a cost of R12.3m. The average cost for impounding a stray for seven days is R1009.97 but the SPCA says the city has been underfunding these costs as it only covers 22% (about R217.62) per stray.

“To make up the shortfall in funding the pound costs, the SPCA relies on donations and other fund-raising income from the public,” the report reads.

There are three SPCA branches - Amanzimtoti, Durban and Coast, and Kloof and Highway - around eThekwini with 11 qualified inspectors among them.

Asked for comment about the threats and allegations made, Caroline Smith, the general manager for Durban and Coast SPCA, said the SPCA collected strays from all areas within the municipality, including the inner city, rural areas and townships.

“Many animals ‘loitering’ are in fact not strays, but are owned animals whose owners are not confining them. In these instances it is metro police who are mandated to deal with these animals and they have a specific division called the Animal Nuisance Unit for these matters,” she said.

Smith said the municipal funding received was “strictly in return for services rendered and was not a ‘grant-in-aid’ or donation.”

She said the SPCA had even continued providing the service in the 2016/17 financial year when there was no funding from eThekwini.

This, she said, had put extreme pressure on the finances of the SPCA, adding that the organisation had hoped there would be retrospective payments for services.

“If the SPCAs did not take in and collect strays, as per last year’s statistics, there would be over 12000 stray animals roaming eThekwini.

“Many suffer from disease, some which can be transmitted to humans, including rabies. We have provided this service to the municipality efficiently and with the requisite expertise for decades now,” she said.

The speaker, William Mapena, said the money disbursed to the SPCA should be used only for services and not for salaries for executives or other issues.

Mayor Zandile Gumede said a report would be needed on the operations of the SPCA in eThekwini.

“Our communities must benefit across the board. All people are equal,” she said.

DA councillor Nicole Graham objected to the threat of the withdrawal of funding, saying the city was obliged by law to provide pound facilities and thus entered into an agreement with the SPCA for the provision of those services.

“Looking at this as a grant or as if we are doing the SPCA a favour is a bit short-sighted. We need this service.”

Gumede took offence to Graham’s comments, saying she had no right to call other councillors short-sighted, as this was “an insult”.

“Right now what I am looking at is that these sites are in Kloof and Amanzimtoti. There is nothing in KwaMashu.”

Responding to the mayor, Graham said she did not call anyone short-sighted but had said the view was short-sighted. “The locations of the SPCA themselves are not something that determines where they work.”

The Mercury