TOURISM BOYCOTT BOMB: The Honeybadger’s revenge: Former minister Dion George’s nuclear war over SA’s captive lions
The former South African environment minister is prepared to back international economic pressure against his own country to shut down the ‘disgusting’ captive lion industry.
Former South African environment minister Dion George is threatening international economic pressure to shut down the controversial captive lion industry in his own country. George, who has lost his ministry and abandoned the political party he served for 30 years, claims he will back the lobby in the UK pushing for a ban on all imports of lion trophies.
He warns that if current Environment Minister David Maynier does not act, George will help push for the ban. George accuses the Democratic Alliance (DA) of defending "un-African" commercial wildlife interests and alleges fear is stopping Maynier from signing off on the ban. He also criticizes the practice of "canned" hunting, where drugged, baited animals are shot at close range in tight areas, as "un-African" and often valued for unproven medicinal properties in Asian markets.
Despite the government's March 2024 decision to end the captive keeping of lions for commercial purposes, George's former department submitted a ban on new captive facilities to the National Council of Provinces, which has yet to be signed by Maynier.
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