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Businesses challenged to match or exceed R10,000 SPCA life-line

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The developers of the Baywest Mall have heeded a desperate call for donations by the cash-strapped Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Uitenhage by giving the organisation a R10,000 cash injection – it’s largest donation in several years.

Upon making the donation on Wednesday (March 5th), Baywest MD Gavin Blows urged other Nelson Mandela Bay businesses to match or better the donation, saying businesses needed to “take care of their communities”.

Blows made the donation after reading about the cash-strapped centre’s plight in local media.

“The developers of Baywest, Abacus Asset Management and Billion Group, are both very community-minded when it comes to their projects around the country,” Blows said. “Serving our communities includes helping care for the pets that bring us joy.”

The developers, who are on track to open the R1.7-billion Baywest Mall next March, are also involved in training initiatives – in conjunction with the Bay office of the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) – to train up SMMEs who are registered on a database for work on the mega project.

Uitenhage SPCA manager Koos Croucamp said he was overwhelmed by the donation.

“It’s our biggest donation for many years. There’s always a need for funding. It’s fantastic to get donations like this from a Port Elizabeth-based entity, because we get next to nothing from businesses in Uitenhage,” said Croucamp, who added that the centre was caring for up to 200 animals, including dogs, cats, donkeys, cattle and geese.

“Our bill for petrol alone each month is about R15,000. Our overall monthly expenses come to over R50,000 and we are wholly reliant on donations from businesses and the public,” he said.

The centre employs 10 fulltime staff and has three bakkies for call-outs as far afield as Steytlerville about 180km inland. The centre also answers many calls from around Port Elizabeth, Croucamp said.

Croucamp said many people did not realise that their donations were tax deductible.

“For every R100 donation we issue a tax deduction receipt, regardless of who made the donation,” said Croucamp.

For parties interested in making a donation, the centre’s Nedbank account details are:

  • Account name: SPCA Uitenhage
  • Account number: 2004534192
  • Account type: Savings
  • Branch code: 127-716
  • Contact person: Elinda Tonnesen: 084-565-3039
SPCA Bay West
SPCA Uitenhage manager Koos Croucamp (left) shows Baywest community liaison officer Azola Tybosch some of the centre’s animals which will be helped by the R10,000 Baywest donation.
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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.