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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Fourth suspect nabbed as Hawks turn up the heat in University of Fort Hare fraud case

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EASTERN CAPE - The Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team has made another major breakthrough in the University of Fort Hare fraud case involving multi-million-rand fraud, money laundering and corruption on 03 April 2025. 

The team arrested the fourth suspect 46-year-old Craig Retief, intensifying the pressure on those implicated in the high-profile case.

Retief appeared at the Alice Magistrate’s Court on 04 April 2025, joining his co-accused the former Acting Chief Financial Officer Simbongile Geqeza (41), former Head of Investigation and Vetting Isaac Plaartjies (57) and family friend Claudine Davids (44).

Their arrests follow a meticulously coordinated Hawks operation spanning multiple provinces. During their initial court appearance on 02 April 2025, Geqeza, Plaartjies and Davids were each granted bail of R10 000-00. Retief, who was arrested a day later was also granted bail of R10 000-00 during his court appearance.

The case has been transferred to the East London Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, with the next court date set for 23 May 2025.

The Provincial Head of the Hawks in the Eastern Cape, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, praised the dedication of the investigators. “Our team worked tirelessly in revealing the truth and ensuring that those who abuse their positions for personal enrichment face the full might of the law and the team will continue to follow the evidence wherever it leads.”

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