NSPCA demands transparency as DA declines request on Willie Aucamp appointment

A showdown is looming between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) after the party refused a request to explain its reasons for appointing Willie Aucamp as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.

"We are disappointed as our request was made in good faith and while it was not a formal request, it was based on courtesy and the principles of good governance and transparency. We will now proceed with a formal request in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to obtain the requested records," NSPCA communications director, Jacques Peacock told IOL.

Probed on what the organisation intended to do if the DA declined their formal request, Peacock replied: "Well, they cannot simply decline arbitrarily. We will wait and see what they say before deciding on the next way forward."

Aucamp's appointment has caused outrage amongst animal rights organisations amid allegations of his links to a family wildlife business which hunts for profit and allegedly supports an organisation representing the interests of the captive lion industry which breeds lions for exploitative purposes – a practice widely condemned by animal rights groups.

"Willie Aucamp, is proudly, explicitly and publicly aligned with South Africa’s hunting and wildlife breeding, including genetically modifying species, specifically for trophy hunting, his family have interests in the hunting and breeding of wild animals for profit. His clear alignment with this specific sector makes him an entirely inappropriate candidate for Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment as it stands in stark conflict with South Africa’s environmental legislation and policies as well as international Treaties to which South Africa is a Party," said the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum (WAPFSA) in its complaint to the DA and president Cyril Ramaphosa.

Both the WAPFSA and the NSPCA have praised the work of Dion George, the former Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, also a DA deployee. He was recently fired amid allegations by the DA of 'under-performance' - a reason rejected by animal rights groups which have hailed his fight against captive lion hunting and lion bone trading as the real reasons for his dismissal.

A public tit-for-tat ensued between George and DA leader, John Steenhuisen over George's firing, prompting DA Federal Executive Chair, Helen Zillie to step in. She referred the matter to the party's legal commission for investigation and barred both leaders from commenting further on the matter in the media.

The DA did not respond to a request from IOL on reasons for declining the NSPCA request.

On the DA's decline of its request, the NSPCA said the DA itself now requested a more formal request be made.

"The DA, through its legal representatives, notified the NSPCA in a brief letter that their 'client has considered the request and has decided not to provide the reasons, criteria, or documentation referred to in [the NSPCA’s] letter'. Instead, it has directed the NSPCA to pursue information through a formal request in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA)."

The PAIA promotes transparency by allowing access to information held by government and private entities, as guaranteed by the South African Constitution. 

Requesting information involves a formal process and bodies typically have 30 days to respond.