24 June 2025

The ANC Study Group on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment would like to make its disappointment unequivocally clear on the absence of the Minister of Agriculture from the joint Portfolio Committee meeting this morning between the Departments of Agriculture and Forestry, Fisheries and Environment.

The meeting was arranged to accommodate the Minister’s attendance and we view his absence in a very negative light given the importance of the issues at hand and matters to be discussed. 

The Draft Animal Welfare Bill has been in development for nearly 5 years and is proceeding at a glacial pace. We regard this piece of legislation as an urgent necessity. Despite recommendations contained within the High-Level Panel, we find that both departments appear to continue to operate in isolation with no progress. 

With respect to the Animal Welfare Bill, we believe that the Department of Agriculture must take the lead as it cannot claim that it does not have a mandate to manage animals. We expect this Bill to be sent to the Committee Secretariat of both Portfolio Committees by Friday, 27 June 2025. 

We also expect a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to be sent to the Portfolio Committees to get an understanding of what is expected from each Department. The MOU outlines cooperation on animal welfare issues, specifically related to the High-Level Panel (HLP) report on matters of mutual interest. We hope to resolve the issues of overlapping mandates and determine the way forward in terms of co-ordinated action.

Issued by the ANC Study Group on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment

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