NELSPRUIT – Panel beaters, engineering firms, liquor merchants and an accounting firm – local companies in these industries have all contributed toward a so-called “Christmas Box” for the Lowveld SPCA. Their combined donation stands on R21 450, almost halfway to reaching a target of R50 000 needed to have the SPCA through the busiest time of the year.
“Donations of food have also been streaming in,” a happy Mr Louie Amorim confirmed on Wednesday, two days after media reports first emerged about the financial strains of this non-profit organisation.
Soon after learning that the SPCA had not received a payment of R400 000, due annually on July 1, from the Mbombela Local Municipality, the owner of Dent Doctor, Mr Rupert Taljaard set the ball rolling to collect private funds for the animals. Within three hours, 12 other Nelspruit-based companies had joined him, pledging a total of R7 700.
Taking it notch up, Mr Charl Breytenbach of Rooikat Liquors proceeded to challenge Makro Liquor, Liquor City, Tops The Grove, Tops White River, Tops Tarentaal and West End, Cash & Carry and Tops Malelane to match or beat their donation of R250. Makro Nelspruit responded, saying the organisation’s plight is of great concern to it, and not only did the store accept the challenge laid out by Rooikat, but raised it and challenged Rooikat and all other wholesale and retail chain-store groups to equal or better tits pledge of a R10 000 gift voucher. In addition, Mr André Human, Makro Liquor manager matched Rooikat’s R250 in his personal capacity.
The generosity of spirit displayed by these local entrepreneurs and business owners did not stop here, however, and Pohls Panel Beaters accepted Dent Doctor’s challenge, donating R1000. Hereafter, Xon Systems contacted Lowvelder and generously gave R1 000 for the cause.
The original donors were Credo Accounting (R500), Nelspruit Iron & Steel (R1 000), Dougs Hiring (R500), BT Industrial Supplies (R500), Midas Nelspruit (R250), Glasfit( R750), Rooikat Liquors (R250), FFA Mechanical (R500), Rudamans Nelspruit (R250), Hi-Q Nelspruit (R1 000), Notorius Spares (R200) and Bridgenet (R1 000).
You can still contribute to reach the target:
Lowveld SPCA
Absa
Account number: 1081510080
Branch: 632005
Kindly use company name as reference.
Lowvelder directed the following questions to Mbombela on the matter, namely:
• Why has the R400 000 subsidy to Lowveld SPCA not been paid to it? • Whether it would be paid soon?
• What assistance can Mbombela give the SPCA to ensure its facilities are kept open? • If its facilities in Nelspruit and White River were to close, what would the council use as a pound and who would act as animal-welfare inspectors?
According to Amorim, the SPCA had signed a revised agreement with Mbombela in October, after issuing the invoice of R330 923 in July upon council’s insistence. Last week, Mr Mr Eddie Ngwenya responded to the committee that all the paperwork was in order. “Council told us that the funds were available and just needed to be released,” said Amorim. To date, despite numerous attempts by the committee, Mbombela has not issued a response on why this has not happened.
Mbombela has not responded to Lowvelder’s enquiries either.
Barometer now on R 21 450
