Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dion George. (@DrDionGeorge/X)
Several civil society organisations expressed deep concern over the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) proposal to oust Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Dion George and to replace him with the party’s national spokesperson, Willem Aucamp.
Three letters landed on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s desk this week from the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum South Africa (Wapfsa), the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) and a coalition including Blood Lions, Humane World for Animals South Africa, Voice4Lions and Animal Law Reform South Africa, urging him to reject Aucamp’s appointment.
“In our view, Mr Willem Aucamp’s private interests could influence the state’s decision-making to his own advantage, by shaping laws to benefit himself,” Wapfsa said in its complaint, endorsed by organisations including the EMS Foundation, Rhinos in Africa, Wild Law Institute, AllRise Attorneys for Climate and Environmental Justice, South African Faith Communities Environmental Institute and the Biodiversity Law Centre.
Wapfsa, a collective of 30 local organisations, said it has a documented history of protecting and conserving wild animals, sharing expertise across the scientific, legal, environmental, and advocacy sectors. Its members also form part of the Ministerial Wildlife Well-Being Forum, instituted by the department in May 2023 at the request of former minister Barbara Creecy.
It said its work rests on the understanding that the inter-relationship between environmental protection, wildlife well-being, conservation and the values of dignity, compassion and humaneness “are foundational to our constitutional democracy”.
In June, Wapfsa’s founding member, the EMS Foundation, raised concern about the “ambiguous and contradictory messages” from the DA on the captive lion industry, including the lion bone trade.
DA spokesperson for forestry, fisheries and environment. Andrew de Bloq van Scheltinga said on 16 November 2024 that the DA supported George’s steps against canned lion hunting and the lion bone trade.
This followed George’s government notices announcing voluntary exit pathways for holders of lion bone stockpiles and calling for comment on prohibiting new captive breeding farms.
“Captive lion breeding underpins the twin industries of canned lion hunting and the lion bone trade,” Wapfsa’s letter said.
“Both industries face serious ethical and regulatory issues. Their prominence has led to strong criticism of South Africa internationally because of their misalignment with global conservation and welfare principles.”
The department also encouraged South Africans to surrender lion bones and derivatives voluntarily. George later reiterated this invitation on Radio Sonder Grense.
“Wapfsa is also of the view that [DA leader John] Steenhuisen is trying to remove the minister before the next CITES COP meeting in November, in an attempt to withdraw all South Africa’s carefully considered and publicly consulted proposals, which include voting against the trade in lion bone and rhino horn,” the organisation added.
‘Conflict of interest’
In April, 11 members of the South African Predators Association filed a high court notice seeking to reinstate the lion bone export quota.
“Of deep concern is the fact that Willie Aucamp … and Desiree van der Walt attended the annual general meeting of the Sustainable Use Coalition of South Africa at Mabalingwe in Limpopo in June. This was not in their personal capacities,” Wapfsa said.
Aucamp posted that he was privileged to address the AGM.
Wapfsa claimed Aucamp is “proudly, explicitly and publicly aligned with South Africa’s hunting and wildlife breeding, including genetically modifying species, specifically for trophy hunting. His family have interests in the hunting and breeding of wild animals for profit”.
The Public Service Commission Act defines a “perceived conflict of interest” as a position where a public official appears to be influenced by private interests.
“If Mr Aucamp is appointed, there will be a clear situation in which a public official has a private interest which influences, or appears to influence, a public decision,” Wapfsa said.
“Moreover, given that his family will likely benefit commercially from decisions that benefit captive breeding and hunting, it may constitute corruption in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.”
Section 195 of the Constitution requires public administration to act impartially, fairly and without bias.
“Undermining the independence of key departments such as the department of forestry, fisheries, and the environment for private or factional gain will severely damage public trust and confidence in government and the political system as a whole.”
‘Damaging SA’s reputation’
The NSPCA, in its letter to Ramaphosa, stressed that its mandate is to act in the public interest, taking animal welfare into account in government decisions. It requested urgent consultation on reports of George’s proposed replacement.
“Just as our laws cater for robust public participation, the well-established precedent in National Council of the SPCA v Minister of Environmental Affairs and Others 2020 (1) SA 249 (GP) obliges public functionaries to consider animal welfare when exercising their powers – even if they do not have an animal welfare mandate,” it said.
“It is precisely through this judgment that the NSPCA successfully challenged government policy relating to the captive lion bone and derivatives trade, which led to the establishment of a ministerial task team that ultimately recommended the phase-out of the captive lion industry.”
The NSPCA said its concern arises from reports linking Aucamp to the captive wildlife industry. It noted that Aucamp had attended events involving lion breeding facilities and organisations that were litigating against the department over the lion bone quota.
It warned that “any misstep could damage South Africa’s reputation in wildlife conservation and law enforcement”.
“Foreign governments watch closely how South Africa addresses matters of wildlife trafficking, conservation, and ‘sustainable use’. The issue of captive lion breeding has drawn considerable concern internationally, including alarm over its potential links to illicit trade networks and reputational harm to South Africa.”
Ramaphosa and the national executive have a duty to uphold section 24 of the Constitution, which provides for an environment that is protected for the benefit of present and future generations.
Aucamp told the Mail & Guardian: “Whether or not I am appointed as minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment by the president, I hope that the NSPCA and Wapfsa will be willing to sit down with me so that they can get to know me as a person.
“I am convinced that if they get to know me, they will realise that their fears are unfounded and that I will at all times act in the best interests of our country’s rich natural and wildlife heritage. This is therefore an open invitation to the NSPCA and Wapfsa to do so.”
‘Setting the country back’
In its letter, the coalition, including Blood Lions, Humane World for Animals South Africa, Voice4Lions and Animal Law Reform South Africa, urged Ramaphosa to reject Steenhuisen’s request and commit to transparent, democratic decision-making.
It said that while Steenhuisen wants to replace George for “underperformance”, he has failed to produce evidence.
Instead, the coalition claimed, Steenhuisen’s request “emanates not from a broad public interest, but from a narrow sector of organisations who seek to continue profiting from an extractivist model of wildlife consumption … politically motivated by vested interests”.
Aucamp has allied himself with organisations “defending the commercial captive predator industry”, such as Wildlife Ranching South Africa and the Sustainable Use Coalition of South Africa, it said.
“He has close family ties with a wildlife breeding farm for buffalo, King wildebeest, Golden oryx and other rarities bred for trophies, as well as a family hunting farm,” the coalition said.
“The captive predator industry makes regular claims regarding purported conservation value … but have yet to produce scientific, peer-reviewed evidence to substantiate these claims.”
George, meanwhile, “has demonstrated a progressive and evidence-based approach to wildlife conservation and animal well-being throughout his tenure”.
“His explicit commitment to end the commercial captive lion industry has been continually met with fierce resistance from industry proponents, including court challenges on the inclusion of animal well-being in Nemba and lion bone export quotas.”
His engagement on captive predator issues has been transparent and democratic, involving public participation, stakeholder engagement and peer-reviewed science, the coalition said.
“His tenure has similarly seen him directly address broader environmental and conservation issues, including finalising abalone appeals, fishing rights allocation, taking action against a shark long-line vessel, committing to the SADC Vulture Conservation Strategy, increasing protection of African penguins, identifying Renewable Energy Development Zones, finalising the Climate Change Response Plan, and adopting the Rio Declaration on Crimes that Affect the Environment.”
The coalition warned that the proposal could set South Africa “back by a decade in terms of conservation policy reform that would restore our standing as a leader in conservation and eco-tourism”.