The letter by N Mellors of Hillcrest in your publication of 17 November 2006 has reference.

We wish to advise that Mr Mellors is extremely misinformed and his allegation that “Lotto have withdrawn all aid to the SPCA” is unfounded and tantamount to slander.

Animal welfare groups and the SPCA in particular have and continue to benefit from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF).  To this effect, we would like to refer your readers to our Annual Reports on our website, www.nlb.org.za for a complete list of all beneficiaries of National Lottery funding.

SPCAs that met the requirements for NLDTF funding, have benefited from more than R32 million since the inception of the National Lottery in 2000, making the NLDTF one of the largest contributors to the SPCA. These figures exclude funding to other animal welfare groups not affiliated to the SPCA.

Since the inception of the National Lottery, more than R4,7 billion has been allocated to over 9 000  NGOs across South Africa. This has only been made possible by the participation of South Africans in the National Lottery.  For anyone to be making unfounded allegations can be extremely detrimental to the efforts of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund to make a difference to the lives of the more vulnerable in our communities.

The categories for funding, as identified in the Lotteries Act (No 57 of 1997), are: Arts, Culture and National Heritage; Charities; Sport and Recreation; Miscellaneous Purposes and RDP.  These are the only sectors that can be funded by the proceeds of the National Lottery, in terms of the aforementioned Act. Animal welfare groups fall within the charities sector.

Mellors complains about crime in our country. The funding of sports facilities and other similar community projects by the NLDTF in our country serves to counteract the causes of crime by providing a welcome distraction from crime, drugs and unsafe sexual practices through activities that will better occupy our youth. This in turn will reduce the workload of the many welfare organisations in our country and the eradication of the many problems brought upon by drugs, crime and unsafe sexual practices.

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