South African big game breeder Jaco Troskie – the man who famously outbid Cyril Ramaphosa on a R20-million buffalo – is suing the government for nearly R500-million after officials allegedly knowingly sold him a TB-infected buffalo on a state auction.
Troskie bought the bull, named El Torro, in 2011 for R6.9-million on a state auction in which 50 buffalo were sold off. Over the next three years he bred it with 25 female buffalo. But in 2014 he received a letter from the Northern Cape veterinarian department saying the bull may be infected with TB.
The provincial department of agriculture then put his entire reserve under quarantine for the next three years. During this time El Torro was diagnosed with TB and died. The quarantine was only lifted in 2017 after Troskie and other affected breeders obtained a court order.
Troskie is one of at least three big game breeders suing the state for a total of almost R1-billion after they all unwittingly bought TB-infected buffalo at the auction.
The government has declined to comment on any of the allegations.
Read the full story in Times Select.
Big game breeder suing state over R6.9m TB-infected buffalo
Image: Jaco Troskie
South African big game breeder Jaco Troskie – the man who famously outbid Cyril Ramaphosa on a R20-million buffalo – is suing the government for nearly R500-million after officials allegedly knowingly sold him a TB-infected buffalo on a state auction.
Troskie bought the bull, named El Torro, in 2011 for R6.9-million on a state auction in which 50 buffalo were sold off. Over the next three years he bred it with 25 female buffalo. But in 2014 he received a letter from the Northern Cape veterinarian department saying the bull may be infected with TB.
The provincial department of agriculture then put his entire reserve under quarantine for the next three years. During this time El Torro was diagnosed with TB and died. The quarantine was only lifted in 2017 after Troskie and other affected breeders obtained a court order.
Troskie is one of at least three big game breeders suing the state for a total of almost R1-billion after they all unwittingly bought TB-infected buffalo at the auction.
The government has declined to comment on any of the allegations.
Read the full story in Times Select.
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