Minister waits on lion-breeding report amid allegations of industry ties
Willie Aucamp (right) is “cognisant” of the 2024 Policy Position on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhinoceros.
Image: Nicola Mawson
Willie Aucamp, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, is awaiting the Ministerial Task Team’s report on the voluntary closure of controlled lion-breeding facilities, amid allegations linking him to the industry.
Aucamp will then decide on what steps he will take regarding this activity.
This comes as Aucamp is involved in what seems to be a tit-for-tat debacle with former departmental staff members, who have alleged that he is associated with the lion breeding industry.
The Minister has denied these allegations.
Aucamp’s statement that he was awaiting Cabinet before acting against controlled lion breeders was in response to a written question from Mzwanele Manyi, a member of the MK party.
Manyi asked Aucamp whether he plans to continue phasing out the captive lion-breeding industry and limit the export of lion-bone stockpiles.
In a statement issued by the DA before George’s removal, the party said there are currently an estimated 8,000 captive lions in South Africa across 350 facilities.
That same statement said it supported George's steps against canned lion hunting and the lion bone trade.
The MP also wanted to know what safeguards will be put in place to prevent conflicts of interest in the wildlife-breeding and trophy-hunting sectors.
Manyi also asked if the policy is to continue, what clear timelines and mechanisms will guide its implementation.
Manyi is also a businessman, political figure, and former government spokesperson.
He gained prominence through his leadership of the Black Management Forum, where he advocated for the advancement of black professionals in South Africa's corporate sector.
In his reply, Aucamp said he was “cognisant” of the 2024 Policy Position on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhinoceros as well as the White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa's Biodiversity.
“However, I am still awaiting the handover report from the Ministerial Task Team on the voluntary closure of the existing controlled lion facilities, as well as the statistical data and socio-economic implications of the closure of the existing facilities,” Aucamp said.
Aucamp added that “detailed analysis of this must be presented to Cabinet as feedback on the status of the Cabinet-approved regulatory framework and policies”.
“Next steps will be considered after I have analysed the report and relevant data,” said Aucamp.
The DA has said there are currently an estimated 8 000 captive lions in South Africa across 350 facilities.
Image: ChatGPT
The 2024 Policy Position on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhinoceros seeks to guide South Africa’s management of these iconic species, including phasing out the captive lion-breeding industry and regulating the trade in lion products.
It aligns with the White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa’s Biodiversity, which sets broader goals for sustainable use, biodiversity conservation, and equitable benefit sharing.
A Ministerial Task Team was appointed in December 2022 by then‑Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy to advise on the voluntary closure of existing controlled lion facilities and assess the statistical and socio-economic impacts of the closures.
Earlier this week, the department said Aucamp had lodged a complaint to the Public Protector. This followed him becoming aware of an investigation into his private business affairs.
This investigation was reportedly instigated by former senior departmental officials.
Aucamp has said that the probe is politically motivated and intended to falsely link him to the lion-breeding industry – an industry with which he says he has no association.
“I will not shy away from my duty as minister and will act against anyone in my department who has been alleged, on a prima facie basis, to have misused state resources, irrespective of what position such individuals hold or have held in the past,” Aucamp is quoted as saying in the statement.
In November, President Cyril Ramaphosa removed George from his position, replacing him with Aucamp, who was then the DA party spokesperson. This was at the request of party leader John Steenhuisen.
George is believed to have leaked Steenhuisen’s personal financial problems to the media.
Days before Ramaphosa fired George, the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa (WAPFSA) expressed deep concern over Aucamp’s appointment.
In a statement, WAPFSA indicated that it wrote to Ramaphosa, urging him to reject Aucamp’s appointment.
The organisation stated that it believed Aucamp’s private interests could influence the state’s decision-making to his own advantage, by shaping laws to benefit himself.
“Willie 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,” a statement issued by WAPFSA said at the time.
The minister has asked the Public Protector to investigate without speculation or interference and says he has submitted all available information and evidence for the inquiry.
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