Deputy Environment Minister Narend Singh told Parliament this week that culling elephants remains a last resort requiring ministerial approval. MPs raised alarms over provincial delays in North West and KwaZulu-Natal that could make such measures unavoidable. Concerns focused on stalled non-lethal options like immunocontraception at reserves including Madikwe.
DA MP Andrew de Blocq questioned why previous parliamentary directives on elephant management had been ignored. He highlighted the absence of the Provincial Elephant Task Team report due in November 2025 and the exclusion of the NSPCA from key processes despite instructions.
Delays in implementing immunocontraception agreements at Madikwe Game Reserve have already led to at least 400 avoidable elephant births since 2020. A revised agreement requested after an October 2025 visit remains stalled, with implementation unlikely before 2027.
Singh emphasised that culling would only follow exhaustion of other options. However, MPs warned that administrative failures and lack of transparency could manufacture conditions where lethal action appears inevitable.
