On the morning of 15 July 2023, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s vet shop was robbed and ransacked. The incident occurred during Stage 6 loadshedding, after frequent and prolonged blackouts rendered the shop’s alarm and camera systems ineffective.
Taking advantage of the power outage, criminals seized the opportunity to raid the store, causing significant damage to its interior and structure and stealing valuable products and cash.
Also read: Cape Town’s SPCA vet shop robbed and ransacked during loadshedding
Recognising the critical importance of an uninterrupted power supply to the vet shop’s security systems, Automation Africa stepped in, generously donating a cutting-edge 5 KVA Luxpower Hybrid inverter system, equipped with a WiFi dongle for remote monitoring, along with a powerful 5.12 Kw 48V Lithium Volta battery.
This setup will ensure that the power remains on even during Eskom’s outages.
Moyo Ndukwana, the CEO of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, expressed profound gratitude for the donation. He emphasised that the inverter system will not only safeguard the shop’s products and assets but also secure the SPCA’s ability to generate income through commercial trade.
‘It’s a gift that will keep on giving,’ said Ndukwana. ‘Because all profits generated via our vet shops go directly back to our day-to-day operations, this donation will ensure that we can continue our animal rescue work.’
Mark Bristow, the director of Automation Africa, explained the motivation behind their generous contribution. After reading an article shared by his colleague, Shannon Kelly, the company identified a need that they could fulfil through their supply of advanced products.
Bristow emphasised the shared love for animals among Automation Africa’s team and how their good fortune enabled them to support the community. He claimed that the organisation deeply admires the SPCA’s efforts to help themselves through income-generating initiatives and wanted to play a part in supporting their noble cause.
‘We all love animals at Automation Africa, and we’re fortunate to be at a point where we can give back to the community. We admire the organisation’s work and their efforts to help themselves via an income-generating initiative, and we wanted to support that,’ he said.
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Picture: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
