NSPCA Hails Court Ruling Protecting Animal-Cruelty Whistleblowers

The National Council of SPCAs has hailed a decision by the High Court in Pretoria that protects the identity of people who provide it with information – or “tip-offs” – about animal cruelty.

“The outcome is hailed as a victory for issues of principle and integrity,” the NSPCA said in a statement on Friday. “The National Council of SPCAs will NEVER reveal the identity or details of informants.”

The case had been launched by the South African Pork Producers Organisation, which demanded that the NSPCA be forced to reveal the identity of an informant who had submitted a complaint regarding welfare issues at the facility of a SAPPO member, which complaint had proved to be justified.

On 5 November 2014, judgement had been handed down in favour of the NSPCA, but SAPPO appealed.

The NSPCA said, “As stated in the judgement, the National Council of SPCAs and the SPCA movement treat all complaints as confidential as per our own Code of Ethics. This prevents disclosure of the name of the complainant except for purposes of a criminal prosecution, when this decision is taken out of our hands. Those who come forward must be protected in the interest of justice and being able to give information – evidence even – without fear of victimisation, intimidation or other repercussions.”

On Tuesday, the NSPCA launched a very similar case. The organisation said in had laid six criminal charges against “Enterprise Foods trading as Pork Packers Abattoir, a division of Tiger Brands, whose method of ‘stunning’ pigs prior to slaughter is considered to be unacceptable, inhumane and a violation of the Animals Protection Act. This is the only red meat abattoir in South Africa which uses carbon dioxide gas to ‘pre-stun’ pigs prior to slaughter.”