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...

Vusimuzi Matlala case postponed for High Court transfer


SANDTON - The Alexandra Magistrates’ Court has postponed the case against businessman Vusimuzi Matlala to 26 August 2025. Matlala appeared alongside his partner, Sakani Matlala, and co-accused Musa Kekana and Tiego Floyd Mabusela. The State requested the postponement to allow for the centralisation of two dockets received from Pretoria, in which the accused are implicated and to allow for the matter to be transferred to the High Court of South Africa in Johannesburg.

The accused face charges of Attempted Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Fraud and Attempting to Defeat the Ends of Justice. The charges emanate from alleged events that occurred in Johannesburg between 12 and 17 October 2023, during which the accused allegedly conspired to kill Tebogo Thobejane. The State further alleges that they opened fire on Thobejane and two other complainants. It is also alleged that the accused laundered over R120,000 linked to the murder plot and submitted a fraudulent invoice in an attempt to conceal the origin of the funds and mislead the court.

The defence brought an application requesting the State to disclose specific parts of the docket; however, the Magistrate dismissed the application. The businessman and two of his co-accused remain in custody, while Sakani Matlala has been released on bail. 

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