Hundreds of workers and community members from Delmas, Mpumalanga, returned to the streets on Thursday, 8 May, to demand answers, action, and dignity. This follows earlier protests just days before, as outrage grows over unpaid wages and the shocking collapse of Daybreak Farms, a state-funded poultry producer now mired in crisis.

At the heart of the unrest is a deeply troubling situation: workers have gone unpaid, chickens have been left to starve, and management is silent. The once-busy farms are now the focus of both a humanitarian and animal welfare disaster.

An Animal Welfare Emergency
On 6 May 2025, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) released a public statement detailing their investigation into Daybreak Farms. Their findings were harrowing.

“Following a disturbing complaint, the NSPCA launched urgent inspections at Daybreak Farms, uncovering severe neglect that has led to the heartbreaking culling of hundreds of thousands of compromised birds,” the NSPCA said in the statement.

Inspectors responded to reports that birds had been left without food for days. On 30 April, they discovered 200,000 chickens at a Daybreak contract site suffering from starvation. Many were underweight, showing signs of cannibalism. The birds were more than 28 days old, yet weighed less than 700 grams—less than half their expected weight.

Daybreak, admitting it could no longer supply feed due to financial collapse, authorized the NSPCA to dispose of the birds. A poultry veterinarian assessed the situation and confirmed the animals could not be saved. Over two days, 200,000 birds were culled. That number rose to over 350,000 by 5 May.

“This was one of the most emotionally and physically taxing operations our team has ever faced,” said Senior Inspector Nazareth Appalsamy, Manager of the NSPCA’s Farm Animal Protection Unit. “We were not there to save lives; we were there to end suffering. And that breaks every one of us.”

The NSPCA said its teams, including 75 staff and volunteers, worked tirelessly across multiple sites. In total, they managed to rescue and rehome more than 500,000 birds, but not before many died slowly and painfully in squalid conditions.

Daybreak’s attempt to salvage the situation by moving the emaciated birds to an abattoir was blocked by veterinary authorities. The birds were too small for standard slaughter equipment, raising concerns of inhumane killing due to inadequate stunning.

“Yet again, when industrial agriculture fails, it is the SPCA, a non-profit, that is left to carry the burden,” the NSPCA said. “Despite intense media attention and public outrage, not one offer of support came from Daybreak.”

Criminal charges are now being pursued against Daybreak’s board for animal cruelty under the Animals Protection Act of 1962.

Workers Left in the Dark and Hungry
While chickens suffered silently in sheds, Daybreak workers were suffering in their own way—without salaries, food, or communication from their employer.

Diikgetsi Slash Sepenyane, SANCO’s Deputy Provincial Chairperson in Mpumalanga, spoke passionately to African Times on 8 May during the protest.

“As the Mpumalanga community at Delmas, we stand with the workers at Daybreak. We are not happy that people are not being paid their salaries per agreed deadline. Not paying means you are violating their human rights,” he said.

Sepenyane criticized the company’s silence during the crisis, saying management failed to even show up for a scheduled meeting with the Department of Labour. “The people of Delmas who are employed by this company should not lose their jobs. We will fight here at R50 road every day—even if it means dying.”

He vowed personal support: “I am personally going to pay for one taxi to transport people to take our protest to these people’s comfort zone. We are going to them.”

Sepenyane also made a bold call for ownership change, proposing that Daybreak become a workers’ cooperative. “We are asking PIC to put money into this company but we want the company to be owned by the workers. We are tired of fighting to be employed. We now want to employ ourselves.”

He also confirmed that the Department of Labour is stepping in to help workers apply for relief funds and has opened a case against Daybreak.

PIC Responds, But Questions Remain
As financial backer of Daybreak Farms, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) also issued a statement on 7 May 2025, responding to the scandal.

“The PIC is deeply disturbed by current reports of culling and cannibalism amongst the poultry stock of Daybreak Food’s farming operations,” the media release read.

While expressing concern, the PIC stressed that the board and management of Daybreak are ultimately responsible for the company’s finances and operations.

“The PIC continues to support Daybreak and has provided capital allocations to provide liquidity to the company, for the board and management to stabilise the business,” the statement continued.

However, the PIC admitted that the company still needs “short-term working capital, the need to strengthen its board and management team, and implementing a credible and realistic turnaround strategy.” It also acknowledged ongoing concerns about governance.

A Company Without Answers
Daybreak Farms has remained silent throughout most of the crisis. According to community members and officials, company representatives did not attend key meetings and have relied on phone communication rather than facing workers or the public in person. Private security has reportedly been posted at company entrances to prevent disruptions.

In the absence of leadership, it is the workers, the community, and animal welfare organisations who are left picking up the pieces.

“We are very disturbed and disappointed with the way the management of Daybreak is conducting itself,” said Sepenyane. “The employees are having a hard time without food and all living necessities.”

What Happens Now?
The situation at Daybreak Farms is complex and devastating. It highlights failures at multiple levels: in management, in animal welfare, in communication, and in accountability. The coming days may bring further legal action, possible financial rescue, or even a restructuring of the company.

For now, though, the workers remain unpaid, the farms remain guarded, and a community continues to protest not just for salaries—but for justice.

As one protester shouted on Thursday: “We feed the country—but now, we can’t feed ourselves.”