eThekwini denies owing Amanzimtoti SPCA

ETHEKWINI Municipality has denied that it owes SPCA Amanzimtoti, alongside SPCA Durban and SPCA Kloof, for taking in stray animals on its behalf.

Speaking on behalf of all the affected SPCAs, Durban & Coast SPCA’s general manager, Caroline Smith, said the non-payment of monies owed to the SPCA since 2021, for services rendered, is placing the non-profit organisation (NPO) in a precarious position.

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“Running a city pound is not the SPCA’s core function. It is a service provided so that the city can comply with the Pound Act and prevent the spread of disease. The monies have been allocated but remained unpaid since 2021, and we have not received a cent. Efforts to gain clarity on the status have recently been met with baseless claims by the City of non-compliance with the SPCA while our three branches struggle to carry the costs, which run into millions of rands per annum, to care for tens of thousands of stray animals,” said Smith.

She added that as an NPO, the organisation is reliant on public donations, and the effect of the non-payment has been devastating.

“Despite the lack of funding, we strive to continue providing shelter, food and veterinary care to these helpless strays and maintain our other essential services. But the status quo is simply unsustainable. We need urgent intervention,” said Smith.

eThekwini’s head of communications, Lindiwe Khuzwayo, denied that there is an agreement in place between eThekwini and the SPCA. She said the Auditor General and the City’s Bid Adjudication Committee revealed that the SPCA is non-compliant as a service provider and would not be in a position to do business with the City.

“This matter was therefore brought to the organisation’s attention, and to our knowledge, they have been doing their utmost to be compliant. About monies allegedly owed, that is inaccurate as there was no memorandum of agreement in place,” said Khuzwayo.

Once the SPCA is compliant, Khuzwayo said they will work on a way forwards in terms of drafting and signing an agreement after all relevant processes have been followed.

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