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Decline in Rhino Poaching

Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the announcement by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment, the DA’s Dr Dion George, that rhino poaching in South Africa has shown a downward trend. Any progress in this ongoing crisis is commendable and offers hope for the future.

However, this decline must be sustained and reinforced if we are to win the war against environmental crime.

Minister George this year completed a ranger training course and is better equipped than any previous minister to lead the charge against the war currently being waged on our biodiversity.

South Africa lost 420 rhinos to poaching in 2024, compared to 499 in 2023 and 448 in 2022. While this reduction is encouraging, the figures remain alarmingly high. Of the rhinos lost in 2024, 320 were poached on state-owned properties and 100 on private land. KwaZulu-Natal remains the worst-affected province, accounting for just over half of the total poaching incidents. Encouragingly, there was a significant decrease in poaching numbers in the province compared to 2023.

Kruger National Park, a key stronghold for rhino conservation, lost 88 rhinos in 2024, up from 78 the previous year. This rise is concerning, particularly as a spate of incidents carried over into 2025, straining park staff who are battling limited resources. The situation is exacerbated by a porous park fence, a high number of staff vacancies—particularly among rangers—and inadequate detection and response capabilities.

The DA calls on the Minister to ensure that polygraph testing under the Park’s Integrity Management Plan is implemented swiftly and effectively to curb internal collusion and safeguard rhino populations. We welcome the conviction and strong sentencing of Francis Kipamba in January 2025 and urge law enforcement to maintain this momentum in bringing poachers and syndicate leaders to justice.

Wildlife trafficking in South Africa is driven by well-organized international crime syndicates, often linked to other illicit activities such as money laundering and the drug trade. The success of the National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking will depend on strong interdepartmental and international cooperation. The Departments of Police, Justice, and Transport, along with provincial authorities and civil society, must work together to disrupt these networks. Additionally, collaboration with Interpol and market countries is essential to dismantle the global supply chain driving rhino horn demand.

While the reduction in poaching numbers is a step in the right direction, complacency is not an option. The DA remains committed to ensuring that the fight against rhino poaching remains a national priority and that law enforcement and conservation authorities receive the support and resources needed to protect South Africa’s iconic wildlife.

Regards

Andrew de Blocq MP
DA Spokesperson on Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment

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  2. Fun South African Fact: Vilakazi Street in Soweto has been home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners. A tour through Soweto will always stop at Vilakazi Street to reveal a number of heritage sites of great importance to democratic South Africa. Both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu lived here at some point in their lives. In 1984, Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for his non-violent fight against the apartheid regime. Nine years later in 1993, Nelson Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with then-president F.W. de Klerk as an award for their role in bringing about the peaceful end of apartheid. Nelson Mandela then went on to become South Africa’s first democratically elected president in 1994.