Lottery cuts SPCA animal welfare funding
"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated," the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi are more relevant now than ever before.
The National Lotteries Commission has told the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) it will no longer fund organisations that work in animal welfare.
“The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated,” the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi are more relevant now than ever before.
This could leave the SPCA without funds to continue their rescuing of abandoned and mistreated pets and to continue their campaigns to stop dog fighting and donkey skin trading.
“Certain programmes that reside in the charities sector, including animal welfare organisations have been excluded from the Lottery’s current ‘Open Call for Applications’.”
This was the message received by the National Council of SPCAs in a communication from Ms Chickey Mofet-Mubu, Senior Manager and Grants Operation Support of the National Lotteries Commission on 7 March.
The letter addressed to NSPCA’s executive director, Marcelle Meredith stated that “The 2016 Charities Open Call for Applications will focus on strategic focus areas that are aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP) as well as government priorities.”
Six branches of the SPCA earned a total of R2.47 million in lottery funding in the 2015/16 financial year‚ according to the lottery commission’s latest annual report. This was sharp drop from almost R10 million going to 28 branches in the 2014/15 financial year.
“The exclusion of animal welfare organisations is short-sighted and inexcusable,” explained Marcelle Meredith.
“The manner of communicating this was blunt and unforeseen.
Organisations, including ourselves, spent a great deal of time and effort in submitting detailed applications for essential projects with budgets, business plans and worthy goals that would benefit communities.”
The NSPCA emphasises that there is no competition or conflict between helping people and helping animals.
“Uplifting the welfare of animals helps communities. Take the current nationwide scandal of donkeys being stolen to be slaughtered for their skins. This dreadful crime affects the poorest and usually most rural communities who are being deprived of their only means of transportation.”
The undertaking of the SPCA’s community outreach projects inevitably benefit the people. Animals vaccinated against rabies pose no threat to human life. When animals are protected by ensuring they are free of parasites such as ticks, fleas and lice, this has a positive effect on the primary health of the entire community.
Cutting financial support to the SPCA movement will adversely affect communities especially those in greatest need and will effectively work against the government’s stated priorities.
This ill-considered decision has wide and long-term ramifications which our country cannot afford. The NSPCA will definitely take up the matter, as far as Parliament, and will be steadfast in their efforts to ensure transparency in every aspect of the National Lotteries Commission’s income and spending.
Meredith asked what Nelson Mandela‚ their former SPCA patron in chief‚ would think about the funding cut.
The National SPCA assures the matter will not rest.
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