The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Uitenhage has finally been paid by the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.
SPCA district chair Deirdre Swift said on Wednesday morning that the money had reflected in the society’s account.
The society and the municipality had been locked in a dispute since July over the payment of R161 000 owed to the SPCA.
This dispute resulted in the closure of the municipal pound in October which operates on the SCPA’s premises.
Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani had initially promised to have the payment made by Friday.
On Tuesday Bobani gave the cash-strapped society a new undertaking, vowing that the money would be paid on Wednesday.
Swift said the payment would bring some much-needed financial relief to the society.
“This is absolutely fantastic,” she said.
“Now I can pay staff until January and actually start paying creditors.”
Some of the expenses that Swift has not been able to pay include the society’s vet bill.
“I haven’t been able to pay our vet for the past two months. At least I can start making payments towards the larger accounts and start settling the smaller ones,” Swift said.
Swift, however, said the municipal pound would only reopen once the municipality had sent a confirmation that a tender deviation had been put in place.
“At this moment in time the municipal pound will not reopen as I am still waiting for feedback from the municipality. If they haven’t put the deviation in place it means that come January we are going to be in exactly the same position we were in now,” Swift said.
Swift extended a word of thanks to residents and other animal groups that had contributed to the victory.
“I am so grateful to everybody that had assisted us and ensuring that this payment comes through. This has been very emotionally draining and challenging, I have had plenty of sleepless nights because the well being of 14 families was at stake and as their employer I feel responsible for them,” Swift said.
“I hope we can move forward and put this behind us with the municipality and do what we are all supposed to do,” Swift said.