Wealthy former Springbok rugby player and hunting safari operator Hennie le Roux has scored a large, valuable herd of Buffalo, plus all the herd’s progeny produced over five years, free of charge.
The herd of 20 Cape Buffalo valued at well over R4-million, was once proudly owned by the province and managed on behalf of the South African taxpayer by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency at the Thomas Baines game reserve near Grahamstown.
But the trouble began in 2010 when they crossed the drought-depleted Settlers Dam to Le Roux’s stunning adjacent hunting mecca, Crown River Safari.
The substantial Settler’s Dam usually forms a natural boundary between the two properties, but months of drought had left it almost empty.
In court papers, Le Roux said that even if the buffalo in question were from Thomas Baines, ownership of them had been lost because ECPTA had failed to maintain its boundary fences.
When it rained again in 2011 the dam filled up, leaving the former formidable Springbok centre and flyhalf in the pound seats.
In 2013 ECPTA resorted to court to try and recover the buffalo and their progeny.
It was during this exercise that it emerged that the Thomas Baines reserve had no formal certificate of “sufficient enclosure”.
Judge John Smith found that the law was abundantly clear on the point.
Ownership of game is only protected when game is held on land that is considered to be sufficiently enclosed.
And the land is only considered to be sufficiently enclosed when it has been issued a formal “certificate of sufficient enclosure” by the provincial premier.
Thomas Baines reserve conceded it had no such certificate.
But ECPTA contended the reserve was sufficiently enclosed and that this should be adequate to protect the province’s ownership of game.
Smith disagreed.
He dismissed the ECPTA’s application and ordered them to pay the litigation costs.
In the meantime, the buffalo, once protected in the provincial Thomas Baines reserve, are now seemingly fair game at Crown River Safari.
The game reserve has an extensive bow and rifle-hunting menu which now includes buffalo. The fee for this trophy is likely to be hefty but the website says the price is only available on request.
Crown River Safari said Le Roux would only be available for comment next week.
ECPTA spokeswoman, Nopasika Mxunyelwa, yesterday said the agency would also only be in a position to comment on Monday.
Ex-Bok scores Buffalo herd
The herd of 20 Cape Buffalo valued at well over R4-million, was once proudly owned by the province and managed on behalf of the South African taxpayer by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency at the Thomas Baines game reserve near Grahamstown.
But the trouble began in 2010 when they crossed the drought-depleted Settlers Dam to Le Roux’s stunning adjacent hunting mecca, Crown River Safari.
The substantial Settler’s Dam usually forms a natural boundary between the two properties, but months of drought had left it almost empty.
In court papers, Le Roux said that even if the buffalo in question were from Thomas Baines, ownership of them had been lost because ECPTA had failed to maintain its boundary fences.
When it rained again in 2011 the dam filled up, leaving the former formidable Springbok centre and flyhalf in the pound seats.
In 2013 ECPTA resorted to court to try and recover the buffalo and their progeny.
It was during this exercise that it emerged that the Thomas Baines reserve had no formal certificate of “sufficient enclosure”.
Judge John Smith found that the law was abundantly clear on the point.
Ownership of game is only protected when game is held on land that is considered to be sufficiently enclosed.
And the land is only considered to be sufficiently enclosed when it has been issued a formal “certificate of sufficient enclosure” by the provincial premier.
Thomas Baines reserve conceded it had no such certificate.
But ECPTA contended the reserve was sufficiently enclosed and that this should be adequate to protect the province’s ownership of game.
Smith disagreed.
He dismissed the ECPTA’s application and ordered them to pay the litigation costs.
In the meantime, the buffalo, once protected in the provincial Thomas Baines reserve, are now seemingly fair game at Crown River Safari.
The game reserve has an extensive bow and rifle-hunting menu which now includes buffalo. The fee for this trophy is likely to be hefty but the website says the price is only available on request.
Crown River Safari said Le Roux would only be available for comment next week.
ECPTA spokeswoman, Nopasika Mxunyelwa, yesterday said the agency would also only be in a position to comment on Monday.
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