Rhino horn auction pits private owners against government

A war of words has broken out between the Private Rhino Owners Association (Proa) and the department of environmental affairs (DEA) over a pending auction of rhino horn.

Proa chairperson Pelham Jones said the auction would comply with “national and international legislation that a foreign national may purchase rhino horn in South Africa but may not legally export these horns”.

The new owner would be subject to the same stockpile audit as required by the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (Nemba) and Threatened or Protected Species Regulations (Tops), which ensures horns are not exported.

“Any person found guilty of this act will be subject to criminal investigation.”

The online auction is due to start on August 21, to be followed by a physical auction on September 19.

Last week, the DEA said the auction by “a South African game rancher” was creating “the unfortunate impression that SA has approved of, and is promoting, the international trade in rhino horn”.

“While the website and Facebook advertising for the online auction in August 2017 of rhino horn makes no mention of the international trade in rhino horn, it creates the impression, because it has been translated into Chinese and Vietnamese, that the horns will be available for purchase by international consumers and speculators for export from South Africa,” DEA spokesperson Albi Modise said.

Pelham said the DEA’s reference to “a game rancher” could only refer to the owner of the largest cache of rhino in SA, John Hume.

Pelham said Proa members attended a meeting with DEA in June “where the stipulations, extent and limitations of the legal domestic trade as well as the prohibited international trade in rhino horn was discussed”.

Modise said the DEA had received the application and it was being evaluated in terms of the relevant Tops and Nemba regulations.