North West Government Defies Parliament

Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is gravely concerned by the continued neglect of elephant management at the Madikwe Game Reserve by the North West Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB), and the Board’s blatant disregard for the explicit directives of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

This neglect has placed the welfare of Madikwe’s elephants at serious risk, with overpopulation causing starvation among elephants and other browsing species. The elephant population has grown exponentially without intervention, violating the park’s own Elephant Management Plan and the dictates of the elephant norms and standards. Several non-lethal interventions, such as contraception, have been rejected by park management for no clear reason.

Elephants are highly intelligent, social animals with complex behavioural and welfare needs. Managing their populations requires not only sound ecological planning, but also an ethical and humane approach to animal welfare. The inclusion of the NSPCA in these processes is therefore non-negotiable. This is not a matter of convenience; it is a legal and moral necessity.

On 10 June 2025, the Portfolio Committee instructed the NWPTB to include the NSPCA in its provincial task team, share all relevant reports and meeting minutes, and submit a population management plan with timelines. These instructions were clear, time-bound, and enforceable.

Yet, according to a media statement issued yesterday by the NSPCA, the NWPTB has failed to comply with a single directive. They have not invited the NSPCA to any meetings, nor provided any documentation. This is not an administrative oversight, but a deliberate act of defiance against the authority of the Committee and Parliament itself.

Serious questions must be asked about why the NWPTB is so resistant to the inclusion of independent oversight bodies such as the NSPCA. The Board has repeatedly promoted culling and trophy hunting as the primary solutions to the crisis which has been allowed to worsen under their watch. There is growing public concern that the NWPTB and the North West provincial government may be protecting vested interests in the hunting industry rather than prioritising science-based and humane wildlife management.

These suspicions are only heightened by the fact that the North West MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism, Ms Bitsa Lenkopane, recently attended in her official capacity a hunting expo in the United States, the 2025 Dallas Safari Club Convention, an event known for promoting trophy hunting of African wildlife. In May 2025, the NW government put out tender bid documents for black rhino, elephant, and buffalo hunts in their reserves, including Madikwe and Pilanesberg.

These were withdrawn from a revised bid document published in June after public outcry. While the DA recognises the contribution of the biodiversity economy, particularly in rural provinces like the North West, the potential conflict between conservation ethics, animal welfare, and profit-driven agendas must be fully investigated.

The DA views this as a test of parliamentary oversight and accountability. If public entities can ignore clear parliamentary directives without consequence, our constitutional mandate to hold them to account is meaningless.

The DA has today written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Hon. Nqabisa Gantsho MP, requesting that she urgently intervene to compel the NWPTB to comply, and, if necessary, summon them back before the Committee in public session to account for their conduct.

We will continue to push for decisive action to ensure that:

• Elephant management in Madikwe is brought under urgent control in a humane and scientifically sound manner;
• The NSPCA is fully and permanently included in all relevant decision-making structures;
• Accountability is enforced on the NWPTB for their failures; and
• The ecological and animal welfare disasters now seen in Madikwe are not repeated in Pilanesberg or any other reserve under NWPTB’s watch.

The DA will not allow this issue to be swept under the rug. Parliament must act — for the sake of our wildlife, our protected areas, and the credibility of our democratic institutions.

Regards

Andrew de Blocq MP
DA National Spokesperson for Forestry, Fisheries and Environment