The Port Alfred SPCA and neighbouring Station Hill residents are breathing a sigh of relief following Ndlambe Municipality’s intervention to dig burial trenches for dead animals.
Trenches just outside the perimeter of the SPCA property are used to bury animals euthanased or found dead.
Because the SPCA is the main utiliser of the trenches due to the very high volume of animals needing to be euthanased that are surrendered to them by local communities, they monitor the situation and report to the municipality three or four weeks before the trench becomes full.
But a broken-down TLB (digger) at Ndlambe Municipality meant there was a long delay and the situation became desperate as the bodies piled up.
By mid-September there were around 20 bodies lying above the ground and more piled up over the next two weeks, said Port Alfred SPCA manager Lisa Nyanya.
“They were saying the TLB has a problem and had been taken [for repair]. They (Ndlambe Municipality) should dig trenches for us twice a year and this is the first one,” she said.
Nyanya said a monthly subsidy due from the municipality to the SPCA had not been paid since 2007. Her understanding is that the SPCA should be receiving at least R10 000 a month for providing the pound service.
“When they catch stray animals they bring them here and we cannot turn them away [despite the fact] that they do not pay us,” she said.
Nyanya said in an attempt to cut costs, one of the SPCA’s general workers had been instructed to stay home, which meant a heavy workload for those remaining.
Talk of the Town asked Ndlambe Municipality questions to clarify what the current relationship between the two entities is:
Q: Is local government responsible for providing a large and a small animal pound in every district in South Africa?
Ndlambe: It depends on whether [that] municipality has the funds or budget for such activity.
Q: Is there an agreement between Ndlambe Municipality and the Port Alfred SPCA to provide this service?
Ndlambe: We don’t have an agreement yet.
Q: Is there any fee or subsidy due to the Port Alfred SPCA for providing this service? If there is, how much is it and when was it last paid to the organisation?
Ndlambe: We used to pay them a certain amount of money when there was an outbreak (around R20 000). We can’t confirm at this stage when that was last paid.
Q: Please confirm whether it’s the responsibility of local government to provide an area/facility where animal bodies can be disposed of.
Ndlambe: Due to the fact that there is no agreement,we can only assist on request.
Q: Are there services that Ndlambe provides to the SPCA, either for free or at a rebated rate?
Ndlambe: There is no service agreement in place at the moment; however there will be a meeting between the ward councillor and the Director of Community and Protection Services as per the recommendation of the Ward 10 committee.