Every year on 18 July, South Africans collectively celebrate one of our most prominent citizens in history, Tata Madiba.
Nelson Mandela Day, which is recognised internationally by the United Nations (UN), honours the legacy left behind by Mr Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. It is a day to observe the values and principles of a man who changed our country’s history.
Mandela believed that actions matter more than words. He dedicated his life to encouraging kindness and compassion for every living being, animal and human.
This year, we chose to celebrate Mandela Day by spending some time with the human and animal residents of Katlehong.
It’s not often that the NSPCA gets a chance to join together as a full team!
Our Inspectors spend two weeks every month in the field, which means that many people don’t get a chance to stop and say hi to one another.
This was a perfect chance for the whole team to join in a force for good. And, the energy was obvious on the cold and early morning of 17 August 2026.
With bakkies full of dog and cat food, kindly donated by Montego, our team left Alberton for Katlehong, full of energy and ready to get helping.
House of Paradise Community Care Centre
Part of our team’s contribution to the Mandela Day celebration was a donation of pre-loved clothing to House of Paradise, an NGO based in the heart of Katlehong. House of Paradise is a community care centre that cares for vulnerable families, abused women, displaced children, and others in need, by providing food and basic education and support.
The team was greeted warmly with a song by staff from House of Paradise, as well as a group of happy and excited children.
Incredible Support From Montego and Röhlig-Grindrod
We also received incredible support from both Montego Pet Nutrition and Röhlig-Grindrod.
Montego sponsored 800kg of dog food and 300kg of cat food for the day. This was an unbelievably generous donation that made a difference to numerous families in Katlehong.
Many animal guardians love and care for their animals deeply, but are unable to afford quality pet food. As our Inspectors walked from home to home, they handed out the pet food to those Katlehong residents who needed it for their animals. The community was overwhelmed with gratitide and it is this kindness and generosity that once again showed us how such acts of compassion can create a lasting impact.
We are truly thankful to Montego and Röhlig-Grindrod for their support and donations. We could not have had the impact we did without their help.
Thank you!
Proactive Inspections and Support
Our team was divided into 4 units to cover as much of the area as we could. Teams set out with pet food, blankets, dewormer, external parasite powder, water, and dog trailers, ready to help where needed.
Inspectors started with home-to-home proactive inspections, chatting with residents, and offering any assistance they may need with their pets. Food and blankets were handed out and dogs and cats were dewormed and treated for ticks and fleas, if necessary.
Emerging Farmers
One of the teams visit an out-lying area where emerging farmers keep their farm animals. Here, Inspectors assisted with providing awareness and advice on how to care for farm animals like pigs and goats, encouraging owners to keep enclosures clean and ensuring that animals always have access to fresh water and adequate food.
Our Inspectors found a coal-horse in need of new shoes, as her current shoes were worn down and ill-fitting.
A coal -horse is used to pull carts full of coal, which are taken house to house where the coal is sold to residents. We called Highveld Horse Unit, who were more than willing to come through and assist. A few hours later, a patient and gentle mare was being fitted with brand new, comfortable shoes while two of her foals looked on.
Thank you to the guys from Highveld Horse Care for coming through on such short notice! The mare’s owner was deeply grateful that his horse would now be able to walk without pain or discomfort.
By the end of the day, our team had assisted 154 animal guardians with their cats, dogs, and farm animals.
One of the local SPCAs will be going back to assist with sterilising 34 dogs.
They will also follow up on 33 welfare concerns that require further inspections.
Giving back is not only about giving money.
This year, the NSPCA used the opportunity on Mandela Day to honour Madiba and his compassion for animals by getting out into the community.
We built relationships.
We answered questions.
We helped where we could.
And, we plan to do it all again next year!
If you are as passionate about animals and their well-being as we are, consider supporting our causes by donating.
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