This is an excerpt from a statement issued by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and published online by Polity on 03 May, 2021
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) cautiously welcomes and supports the release of the report by the High-Level Panel (HLP) “to review policies, regulatory measures, practices and policy positions that are related to hunting, trade, captive keeping, management and handling of elephant, lion, leopard and rhinoceros.”
The IFP has been campaigning against the issue of captive-bred lion hunting since 2014, and IFP MP, the late Mario Oriani-Ambrosini, addressed the first Global March Against Canned Lion Hunting in March 2014. The issue has since been taken up and championed by Narend Singh, the former KZN MEC for Environmental Affairs and current IPF MP and Spokesperson on Environmental Affairs, Forestry and Fisheries.
Hon. Singh facilitated viewing of documentary Blood Lions for the parliamentary Environmental Portfolio Committee, which was then chaired by late Hon. Jackson Mthembu, who later ascended to being Minister in the Presidency.