NSPCA welcomes long-awaited reform for lion captivity breeding ban

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CAPE TOWN - The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has  welcomed the announcement by Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, on the imminent publication of the Lion Prohibition Notice banning new captive lion breeding facilities.   This long-awaited reform marks a pivotal milestone in dismantling an industry built on systemic cruelty, reflecting years of legal action, public advocacy, and inspections by the NSPCA. The prohibition confirms what the NSPCA has long exposed: the captive lion industry has operated largely unabated for decades, inflicting severe animal welfare violations, damaging South Africa’s conservation reputation, and flouting constitutional obligations to protect sentient beings. While limited to new facilities, this ban sends a clear signal that the commodification of lions for tourism, hunting, and the bone trade is no longer defensible. The NSPCA’s decade-long investigations have laid bare the industry’s brutality. O...
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Congolese bouncer linked to Zanzou Hatfield sexual assault granted bail

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PRETORIA – A 41-year-old Congolese national was granted R10 000 bail by the Pretoria Magistrates' Court on 9 April. 

He is facing 8 counts of compelled sexual assault and 6 counts of assault with grievous bodily harm. The charges emanate from two case dockets opened against the accused. It is alleged that in April 2022, the accused assaulted the two victims in the matter. In a separate incident in January 2023, it is alleged that the accused compelled four male persons to perform sexual acts on themselves. 

 This was discovered when videos surfaced on social media, which resulted in six complainants opening cases against the accused. In his affidavit, he asked to be released on bail because he has three children and a wife he needs to provide for, and he has no previous cases or pending cases. The state, however, opposed his release on bail, arguing that the man was a flight risk and was likely to evade trial. Furthermore, the state argued that the man had no valid travel document, and his refugee status is still pending, awaiting decision by the Department of Home Affairs. 

 In delivering the judgment, the district court magistrate found that it was in the interest of justice that the accused be released on bail, with conditions that he should report at Sunnyside police station every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Furthermore, the accused was ordered not to leave the jurisdiction of Pretoria.

The matter was postponed to 05 May 2025 for further investigations. 


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