The Benoni SPCA has welcomed the private prosecution by the NSPCA and AfriForum of chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Thandi Modise.
At a media conference held on July 19, AfriForum and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) announced they will be prosecuting Modise for charges of animal abuse.
This comes after the NSPCA responded to a complaint that was received in July 2014 regarding a farm owned by Modise in what they call “one of the most cruel cases of animal abuse that the animal welfare organisation had ever seen”.
Carcasses of about 50 pigs and other dead animals were found at the farm.
The dead animals included geese, sheep, goats and ducks.
With no food or water supplied to them, only a few animals survived but were found in a state of desperation according to NSPCA reports.
“They have our full support in this decision,” said Benoni SPCA senior inspector Shiven Bodasing about the NSPCA and Afriforum proceeding with the private prosecution.
“Justice for animals is so imperative.
“We are glad AfriForum is sending out a message of zero tolerance for animal abuse no matter who the offender is.”
The animals that survived included some pigs, sheep, chickens and goats.
The NSPCA said they had to euthanise 162 animals due to the bad conditions they were in.
“The animal abuse on Modise’s farm was some of the worst abuse that we ever had to deal with,” said NSPCA executive director Marcelle Meredith.
“The animals were left to their own mercy and many died of hunger.”
According to of the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1993 (Act No. 169 of 1993) the NSPCA has statutory powers to privately prosecute offenders.
AfriForum’s head of civil rights organisation’s Private Prosecution Unit, Advocate Gerrie Nel, will be leading the prosecution case.
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“AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit investigated the matter and concluded that there is prima facie evidence to successfully prosecute Modise.
“It is essential to institute private prosecution to ensure that justice prevails,” said Nel.
The NSPCA has thanked AfriForum for providing Nel’s services to launch and preside over their first private prosecution.
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