“Underperformance” is reportedly one of the reasons DA leader John Steenhuisen has asked that the minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment, Dion George, be removed from his post. Yet George’s track record in areas such as conservation and renewable energy suggests the opposite.
George has been making waves at home and on the global stage since he took up the portfolio in July last year. Controversial as certain decisions may be – from George’s freeze on captive lion breeding permits and lion bone exports, to granting authorisation for a second nuclear power station - his work ethic and determination have stood out in a department where policies and programmes have long stalled.
When asked for evidence that George has been underperforming - and about his proposed replacement - Steenhuisen said only: “The constitution is clear that the president, as head of the executive, appoints and disappoints members of the cabinet.
“It would be premature of me as the DA federal leader to discuss any matter relating to this until the president has applied his mind.”
On Thursday, the National Council of NSPCAs joined those expressing concern about George’s possible replacement by DA spokesperson Willie Aucamp, after news reports linking Aucamp to the captive wildlife industry.
The NSPCA said: “Captive lion breeding has drawn considerable concern internationally, including alarm over its potential links to illicit trade networks and reputational harm to South Africa …Foreign governments watch closely how South Africa addresses the matters of wildlife trafficking, conservation and ‘sustainable use’.”
Aucamp, the NSPCA warned, is linked to industries linked to lion breeding and other captive wildlife facilities and to the “very organisation litigating against the DFFE concerning the setting of a lion bone export quota”, which George has set at zero.
The DFFE is an exceptionally important department – one that carries significant international attention and responsibility.
— NSPCA
George’s spokesperson Chelsey Wilken said that he had “halted the registration of any new lion-breeding facilities as a decisive move toward ending the commercial captive-breeding and canned-hunting industry”.
The minister boosted South Africa’s international standing last month when he chaired the G20 environmental and climate sustainability ministerial meeting and led it in issuing “Cape Town ministerial declarations” on environmental crimes and air quality.
The DFFE minister is co-chairing the “adaptation stream” at COP30 in Belem, Brazil.
South Africa has launched its own coastal adaptation response plan with 21 outcomes and 150 interventions to protect vulnerable coastal communities under him.
“Adaptation is about building resilience. It is how we prepare for the storms, droughts and rising seas that are already reshaping our world,” George said.
South Africa signed the High Seas Treaty “advancing global ocean protection and securing South Africa’s voice in the governance of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction” in June.
To crack down on abalone poaching and other wildlife crime, George has called for “stronger co-ordination among the DFFE, the police and the endangered species K9 unit to combat marine wildlife crime”. He was with the team at sea when they intercepted poachers off Hout Bay.
On saving the critically endangered African penguin, BirdLife South African and SANCCOB are among the conservation organisations that praised the DFFE under George’s leadership for its speedy and efficient response to a court order, closing certain fishing areas to protect the penguin’s food source.
They hailed the minister’s new regulations on ship-to-ship fuel transfer “as a lifeline for the penguins”.
George’s actions go beyond wildlife protection to people’s health and safety. The DFFE has tightened up oversight of Eskom’s emission exemptions in the past year to bring cleaner air standards to high-impact regions.
DFFE reports show that 162 environmental appeals have been finalised since July 2024. “This cleared backlogs and improved turnaround times for both investors and affected communities,” the DFFE stated.
One example of George’s drive for efficiency in the department was the processing of more than 3,000 renewable energy applications, using an environmental screening tool. The department finalised 220 independent power producer applications within 57 days, it reported.
“DFFE achieved an unqualified audit opinion for the 2024/25 financial year, reflecting stronger governance, internal controls and transparent management of public funds,” Wilken said.
Appealing to President Cyril Ramaphosa and his cabinet to protect the environment for present and future generations, the NSPCA asked for an urgent consultation with the president regarding the proposed replacement of George with Aucamp.
In its request, the NSPCA stated: “The DFFE is an exceptionally important department – one that carries significant international attention and responsibility.”
TimesLIVE
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