Intervention efforts to rescue the struggling Daybreak Foods, a major poultry producer in the country, continues unabated. This following a South Gauteng High Court judgment to make permanent an urgent interim order granted to the National Council of SPCA (NSPCA) on 10 May.
The order upheld the NSPCA’s authority to “act decisively against animal cruelty and affirmed its legal right to intervene when animals suffer.” Daybreak was placed under business rescue on Tuesday to avoid liquidation and protect around 3 000 jobs, a move supported by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).
The company was acquired by the PIC in 2015 for R1.19 billion and its ownership divided evenly among three government entities, i.e. Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) the Compensation Fund (CF) and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
NSPCA’s Communications Unit Manager Jacques Peacock told Newsnote that despite opposition from both Daybreak Foods and the PIC against these minimum humane interventions, they pursued this matter with unwavering determination and succeeded.
“The Court has upheld the NSPCA’s authority to act decisively against animal cruelty and affirmed our legal right to intervene when animals suffer,” said Peacock. He said that Daybreak’s entire defence hinged on the claim that a R74 million cash injection from the PIC has resolved the animal welfare crisis.
The Court, however, rejected this argument and focused squarely on the needs of the animals. “The court held that the urgency was necessitated by the collapse of [Daybreak’s] responsibility to appropriately care for the chickens in their possession and under their control and that the management of Daybreak has collapsed and there was financial mismanagement of the available funds,” explained Peacock.
In addition, Peacock said the order amongst others compels Daybreak to allow the NSPCA to intervene.
“They’re compelled to immediately cease all inhumane culling practices, feed all birds throughout its operations adequate and appropriate specific food until humane processing. Halt all breeding and placement of day-old chicks until proper nutrition is ensured, subject to the NSPCA’s satisfaction or by agreement, submit a detailed plan to the NSPCA within five working days on how it’ll resolve the crisis humanely, allow the NSPCA access to all its premises, and pay the NSPCA’s legal costs, jointly with the PIC,” remarked Peacock.
He stressed that they’ll ensure that Daybreak fully comply with the court order and monitor the situation closely.
