Recently appointed Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Willie Aucamp had probably one of his best days in office to date when telling South Africa, specifically those committed to conservation, that their efforts last year saw a 16% decline in the number of rhino lost to poachers.
He attributed the decline to dedication as well as swift tactical actions and response by anti-poaching units of, among others, SANParks, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the SA Police Service (SAPS).
Giving credibility to his announcement was a SANParks statement reporting two poacher contacts in the Kruger National Park in early February. In one incident, a high calibre rifle and bags were recovered at the Malelane section of the park. In the second incident, a suspected poacher was fatally wounded during a confrontation in the Stolznek section of the park.
Aucamp, who replaced his former Democratic Alliance (DA) colleague Dion George on 17 November last year as the Government of National Unity (GNU) Cabinet member responsible for, among others, conservation and protection of South Africa’s wildlife heritage, said 352 rhino were killed in 2025 by poachers. Two hundred and sixty-six of these were on what he called “State properties”, with the Mpumalanga portion of Kruger accounting for 175. This is 87 more than the poached rhino deaths recorded in Kruger in 2024.
Rhino poaching numbers in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in Kwazulu-Natal dropped from 198 in 2024 to 63 in 2025 with the provincial conservation agency attributing the reduction in its flagship reserve to better collaboration between itself and private provincial rhino owners. This is facilitated by integrated wildlife zones (IWZs) with support from the Worldwide Fund for Nature, the Peace Parks Foundation, Save the Rhino International and Wildlife ACT, an 18-year-old not for profit (NFP) conservation NGO (non-government organisation).
“While Ezemvelo recognises that the strategic dehorning programme implemented in 2024 served as a critical catalyst in stabilising rhino poaching pressures and enabled urgent, targeted interventions, analysis of the 2025 outcomes confirms that multiple complementary interventions were central to the reduction in poaching incidents,” Aucamp said.
Key among these were enhanced detection and early-warning capability, achieved through deployment and integration of advanced camera technologies and sensors; and the implementation of an Integrity Implementation Plan (IIP). This saw all park law enforcement personnel polygraphed, reinforcing organisational integrity and public confidence.
“As we closely monitor implementation of the National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT), we continue to see some very good convictions in relation to rhino-related cases, with lengthy direct imprisonment terms, in respect of cases related to rhino crimes,” the Minister said.
The key efforts of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Environmental Working Group, which includes key prosecutors from around the country, are leading to more cases being handled together.
This means that those accused are being prosecuted for multiple cases at once, giving the court a complete picture of the criminal activities carried out by the groups involved, and allowing for a focus on organised crime and money laundering aspects of these cases.
He gave the example of ZM Muiambo alias Thomas Chauke where collaboration was seen between the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI), the SA Police Service (SAPS) stocktheft and endangered species unit and the Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI) aka the “Green Scorpions”. This saw charges from four provinces centralised the Makhanda High Court finding him guilty on 19 charges and sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
“South Africa continues to strengthen its international collaboration to curbing rhino poaching and wildlife trafficking. These efforts led to the country receiving the Asia Environmental Enforcement Recognition of Excellence Award late last year, which celebrates excellence in enforcement by government officials, institutions and teams combatting transboundary environmental crimes.
“Working together with the South African anti-poaching and anti-trafficking organisations, we remain committed to a balanced, intelligence-driven, and partnership-based approach to rhino protection, recognising that sustained success requires constant adaptation, integrity, and cooperation across all sectors,” Aucamp said.
