No blood horns at the trade desk for rhino horn sellers and buyers
Private rhino owners everywhere will take heart from the ruling that rhino horns can be traded within the borders of South Africa says their association. Lobbyists against trade in rhino horn are not surprised by the ruling.
PRETORIA – Rhino horn sales are legal in South Africa once again, subject to permitting requirements.
On 5 April the South African Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of Mr John Hume and Mr Johan Kruger and all other private rhino owners who wish to sell their stock like members of Wildlife Ranching South Africa.
John Hume (75). Mr Hume was ready to sell rhino horns in May this year.
READ how the Lowvelder reported on his comments.
An original application challenging the moratorium was brought forward in
2012 and again in 2015.
On November 26, 2015 the High Court set aside the moratorium on the domestic trade in rhino horn. The minister filed an application for leave to appeal to the High Court. It was dismissed.
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) was petitioned for leave to appeal. The SCA dismissed the minister’s application in May 2016.
The minister subsequently applied to the Constitutional Court for leave to appeal the decision in June. It was turned down. The moratorium has now been lifted.
Minister Edna Molewa met with members of Wildlife Ranching South Africa on April 1.
Ms Kim da Ribeira, spokesman for Outraged South African Citizens Against Poaching, said to Lowvelder, “We are disappointed but not surprised at this ruling.”
“It once again highlights the fact that our Department of Environmental Affairs does not take its role seriously. The moratorium should never have been open to this challenge.”
Mr Pelham Jones, chairman of the Private Rhino Owners’ Association, said the members are “absolutely delighted. The moratorium was wrong.”
Jones explained that the organisation will immediately be going forward by establishing a trade desk to help members sell their rhino horns for which they will have to own legal possession permits.
“We guarantee that we will sell no blood horns. It will work like a futures market: once we have a willing buyer the possession permit needs to be cancelled and a new one needs to be allocated to the new owner.”
He did not want to speculate on a possible glut on the market, what the government is going to do with their stock pile or any rhino-horn trading prices.
The minister of environmental affairs, Dr Edna Molewa said in a press release that she, “has noted the decision of the Constitutional Court. Commercial international trade in rhino horn is, however, still prohibited.”
