'Removal of Minister George could mark reversal of recent conservation gains'

A cabinet reshuffle appears imminent as the Presidency confirms that Democratic Alliance (DA) leader and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has requested the removal of Dr Dion George as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

Steenhuisen wants George, who is one of six DA ministers serving under the Government of National Unity (GNU), to be replaced by the party's national spokesperson, Willie Aucamp.

The timing has raised eyebrows, coming just weeks before a major international biodiversity summit where South Africa is expected to reaffirm its opposition to wildlife trade in rhino horn, ivory, and lion bones.

Dr Adam Cruise, an investigative environmental journalist, says George’s removal appears to be a 'calculated manoeuvre' to return control of the portfolio to pro-hunting interests.

"This isn't just a normal reshuffle; there's a little bit of a political play going on here.

"Dion George has been, perhaps, the only minister to really stand up to the wildlife and hunting lobby, in particular with the canned lion hunting industry which is a very nefarious industry, and it's got all sorts of welfare concerns, and it's damaging the brand of South Africa. So, he's had the courage to stand up to it, and of course, there's been a backlash, there's been litigation, and there's been a lot of noise from the hunting lobby against Dion George. So, this removal is to sort of take him out and replace him with Willie Aucamp, who is very much in the camp of wildlife hunting. He owns a wildlife ranch, and he's been outspoken about the ranching and hunting industry and the canned lion industry, so it's a definite move from one perspective to the other.

"The timing is a bit of a coincidence as well because with this litigation against the minister in terms of the lion bone quota, he set a zero quota for the export of lion bones. Dion George has made it very clear that he's not going to be supporting the continuation of the lion bone trade. He's not going to be supporting any kind of upliftment of the ban on rhino horn or ivory. So very, very interesting timing to replace him just before this COP [Conference of the Parties] with somebody who will do the exact opposite.

"Let's be clear here. This industry benefits the lucrative few. This does not benefit people. This does not create jobs. It's an elite group of farmers that benefits from this. This does nothing for the economy. In fact, if the minister has to adhere to all stakeholders, the majority of South Africans would really want this lion bone industry to be gone and done and dusted and never resurrected ever again."

While some have pointed to George’s dual United States and South African citizenship as a factor for his removal, Cruise dismissed this as a 'red herring', saying the real issue is political pressure from the hunting industry.

To listen to Cruise in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, click below: