Mbombela Municipality takes wag out of Lowveld SPCA’s tail
Mbombela's failure to pay the Lowveld SPCA almost half a million rand caused local business owners to step in and help.
UPDATE: Donations currently stand at R 18, 450. The challenge to Lowveld businesses is to raise R50 000 for the Lowveld SPCA to assist them over the busy December period.
A full list of donors will be published on Friday. If you would like to contribute:
Lowveld SPCA
ABSA
1081510080 acc.#
632005 branch
Kindly use Company name as reference
Email proof of payment to susanna@lowvelder.co.za
Should you wish to contribute, kindly inform susanna@lowvelder.co.za, to add your company name to this list for
Original article on Tuesday, December 5:
NELSPRUIT – The hard-bargaining businessmen of the city showed their softer side by raising almost R8 000 in less than three hours for the Lowveld SPCA. This followed national media reports this week that the non-profit organisation may close its doors due to financial problems. “Actually, we will be a-for-away as soon as Mbombela Municipality pays the R400 000 that it owes,” said Lowveld SPCA vice-chair Mr Louis Amorim on Monday. “It is simply untrue that our doors are about to close.”
The organisation requires R100 000 per month to operate and Mbombela’s action has added pressure to the committee to source the necessary funds to continue with operations. The municipality has not paid the SPCA for acting as the official animal pound for the region. This payment is due annually on July 1. Last year Mbombela only paid on October 1. “Any organisation will struggle if a client’s payment is five months overdue,” Amorim told Lowvelder.
The late payment by council has forced the organisation to obtain a loan to pay its staff for November. Salaries amount to about R50 000 per month. “We do have fund-raising campaigns planned for three-month periods. The most recent, called Pledge a Paw, has been launched and we hope to raise enough funds to see us through the season,” stated a hopeful Amorim.
Despite the outstanding account, Mbombela keeps bringing in animals, which the SPCA can’t refuse to take. These are housed, treated for illness or put down – all of which costs money. More than 100 animals are housed at the Nelspruit and White River facilities at any given time.
The facts about the difficulties the Lowveld SPCA faces:
• The staff component was not recently reduced, said Amorim. It has a team of 10 and more staff will join in 2014.
• The complex in Nelspruit had to endure three days without electricity last week due to an unpaid bill of R3 000, which the municipality had previously undertaken to cover, according to the chairman of the Lowveld SPCA, Ms Jenneth Geel.
At the time of going to print, Mbombela had not responded to media questions nor returned telephone calls.
Upon learning of the ongoing financial problems of the Lowveld SPCA, the owner of Dent Doctor in Nelspruit, Mr Rupert Taljaard immediately decided to donate R1 000, and challenged all other panel beaters in the area to match or beat this. “The SPCA is entering its busiest time of the year, and we as a community must step in and help.” Within an hour, 13 had pledged more than R7 500.
Help to raise the donation barometer this week: To make a donation, contact the Lowveld SPCA on 013-750-0240 or Pledge a Paw by sending your details to 082-589-1141.
