The feed for animals on prison farms is at a critical stage.
Image: Supplied
The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has escalated a formal complaint to the Minister of Correctional Services following a repeated failure to provide adequate feed for livestock at multiple agricultural correctional centres.
Despite ministerial assurances made in March 2025 regarding budget-related shortages, recent inspections reveal that thousands of animals remain at risk, leading to forced humane euthanasia in several cases.
Under the Animals Protection Act the failure to provide adequate nutrition and care is a criminal offence. The NSPCA is currently assessing if government officials will face prosecution for the ongoing neglect within state-run facilities.
The NSPCA’s Samanta Stelli said over the past year, the NSPCA and local SPCAs have been conducting ongoing inspections at correctional facilities to monitor compliance and prevent suffering.
“These inspections identified early indicators of feed shortages. The NSPCA formally engaged with relevant functionaries, including the Minister and National Commissioner, with no response to the NSPCA’s enquiries. No effective intervention has been confirmed to date,” Stelli said.
To prevent further suffering, the NSPCA and SPCA said it had to carry out humane euthanasia in certain cases.
“Information provided to the NSPCA reveals that procurement failures linked to budget constraints have resulted in the inability to provide appropriate feed," Stelli added.
The NSPCA has called on the Minister and the National Commissioner to take immediate corrective action. Where necessary, the NSPCA said it would pursue legal action to prevent further suffering and to ensure accountability under South African law.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
IOL