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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SARS thanks taxpayers after collecting R1.855 trillion, outperforming the Revenue Estimate by R8.8 billion

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PRETORIA - South African Revenue Service (SARS) is pleased to announce a positive preliminary revenue-collection outcome for the 2024/25 fiscal year. This achievement takes place in a tough economic environment.

SARS is a cornerstone of our cherished democracy. Since its establishment, it has collected more than R23.3 trillion to help build a capable state that caters for all. This success is inextricably linked to an efficient and effective revenue administration that discharges its legal mandate to collect all revenue due to the fiscus, foster compliance and facilitate legitimate trade. As an organisation, everything we do, is about the transformational impact we have on the lives of people, which we call our “Higher Purpose”. We are on the road to reimage our organisation into a smart, modern SARS that can be trusted and admired by all, as encapsulated in our Vision 2025–2030.

By the end of March 2025, SARS had collected a record gross amount of R2.303 trillion, representing year-on-year growth of 6.9% against estimated nominal GDP growth of 5.4% (2024/2025). In this difficult economic environment, SARS paid refunds of R447.7 billion to taxpayers, the highest-ever amount in refunds (versus R413.9 billion in the prior year), representing growth of 8.2%. This brings the collected net amount to R1.855 trillion, which is almost R8.8 billion higher than the revised estimate, and R114.0 billion more than last year’s R1.741 trillion.

“I am pleased that the R447.7 billion returned into the hands of taxpayers is good for the economy”, said Commissioner Kieswetter. “I, however, remain deeply concerned about the ever-present threat of refund fraud and abuse of the system”. To illustrate this problem, in the period under review, SARS prevented the outflow of R146.7billion of impermissible refunds.

Source: SARS

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