Cape of Good Hope SPCA shuts down Khayelitsha mobile clinic after alleged hijacking attempt
A staff member survived a violent hijacking attempt in Khayelitsha on Thursday, 24 July, escaping with four cats and 12 dogs.
Gun being pointed. Pixabay/Victoria
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has closed their mobile clinic services in Khayelitsha.
The decision comes after two alleged armed hijacking attempts on a mobile clinic operator.
The operator survived an alleged violent hijacking attempt in Khayelitsha on Thursday, 24 July.
This attack followed an initial attempted hijacking of the same van in the same area just two days earlier.
Inside the vehicle at the time were four cats and twelve dogs, all of which were being returned home following sterilisation at the SPCA’s Animal Hospital.
The operator was able to get away from Thursday's hijacking attempt by driving for their life.
“I drove for my life – and theirs," the Cape of Good Hope SPCA reports.
In response, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA has made the difficult decision to withdraw its mobile clinic services from Khayelitsha with immediate effect.
In a post on social media, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA operator, who has chosen to remain anonymous, describes the traumatic experience:
“I’m the breadwinner at home. My immediate concern was what would happen to my family if I were not here anymore – and what would happen to the animals in my van. Then I drove for my life – and theirs. One gunman was in front of the vehicle, and the other at my side window. I am thankful to God that I was able to get away.”
- SPCA staff member
While the staff member escaped physically unharmed, the trauma of these attacks has left the mobile clinic team visibly shaken. Counselling and psychological support are being provided through the SPCA’s staff wellness initiatives.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA's spokesperson, Belinda Abraham, said the impact of the organisation's decision to withdraw from the area will severely impact the animals.
“This is devastating for the animals of Khayelitsha. Crime threatens human lives, and now it has robbed animals of essential veterinary care. The SPCA mobile clinics are a lifeline for pets in this community, providing vaccinations, sterilisation, and parasite treatments in an area where access to veterinary care is already so limited. We are incredibly saddened that it has come to this.”
- Belinda Abraham, Spokesperson - SPCA
Our priority remains the safety of our staff, who often work under extreme risk to provide services to animals in crime-ridden areas. While we continue to seek safer ways to proactively serve in these communities, our commitment to animal welfare in Khayelitsha will, for the immediate future, be limited to Inspectorate services only, Abraham adds.