By Michelle van der Spuy
The National Society for the Protection of Animals (NSPA) has laid criminal charges against the board of directors of Daybreak Foods after a comprehensive investigation, which exposed a large-scale animal welfare disaster.
Its investigation found that Daybreak Foods subjected more than a million chickens to extreme neglect, which led to suffering and death, the NSPCA said in a statement. According to the NSPCA, it also found widespread negligence, systemic mismanagement and a complete abdication of responsibility by Daybreak’s leaders.
“These failures are not only inhumane, but criminal in nature. Therefore, the NSPCA has decided to take legal action,” the statement said. “We will now work with the police and the national prosecuting authority to get justice for the animals that suffered.”
Sr. Insp. Nazareth Appalsamy, manager of the NSPCA’s farm animal protection unit, says the law obliges them to respect every animal. “To apply for the suffering of one animal times a million is not just a disaster – it is a serious and morally reprehensible failure.”
The NSPCA reportedly uncovered scenes of horrific suffering in its investigation – chickens allegedly in excruciating pain due to cannibalism after they began to feed on each other out of desperation.
On 23 May, the High Court in Johannesburg rejected Daybreak Foods’ claim that a R74 million emergency payment had solved the animal welfare crisis on its farms. The court made minimal amendments to the interim court order obtained by the NSPCA on 8 May.
The final interdict states that Daybreak Foods must:
- immediately cease all inhumane slaughter practices;
- provide adequate and appropriate feed to the chickens until they are processed;
- cease all breeding operations and the placing of day-old chicks or hens on any of its premises until it is able to feed the chicks;
- provide the NSPCA with a timeline and strategy on how the crisis can be resolved in an ethical manner;
- grant the NSPCA access to all of its premises; and
- jointly pay the NSPCA’s legal costs, together with the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).
he NSPCA said it would ensure Daybreak Foods complies with the court order and continues to monitor the situation as closely as possible. Daybreak Foods has since been placed in business rescue.
