Rhino conservationists have called for more effective systems to manage the stockpiling and permitting of rhino horn following the arrest of rhino breeder John Hume for his role in allegedly trafficking over 960 horns valued at an estimated R250 million (US$14.1 million).
Hume and five other alleged accomplices were granted bail in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on August 19 after handing themselves over to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (The Hawks).
Hume, an advocate of legal trade in rhino horn, previously owned approximately 2 000 southern white rhino on the 7 800 hectare Platinum Rhino farm in North West Province.
The suspects face a collective 55 charges of racketeering, fraud, theft, money laundering and contravention of the National Environmental Management Act. The arrests relate to an investigation by The Hawks between 2017 and 2024. At the centre of the investigation was the suspects’ alleged role in securing permits, under false pretences, to legally sell and buy rhino horns within South Africa but they funnelled the horns into illegal Southeast Asian markets.
Under South African law, domestic trade is permitted with valid government-issued permits while international trade is banned.
Two of the suspects, Clive Melville and Petrus Steyn, were arrested in 2019 when they were caught transporting 167 rhino horns without the necessary domestic trade permits.
Nina Fascione, Executive Director of the International Rhino Foundation, said the alleged trafficking of such a large quantity of horns cast a global shadow over extensive conservation efforts to protect South Africa’s rhino populations.
“This is not just a single incident but a process of criminality that has been insidiously going on for years and stimulating illegal supply channels from Africa. It is the equivalent of white collar crime rather than the armed robbery of poaching and must be treated as such,” said Fascione, adding that the incident raises further questions about the management of stockpiles and the effectiveness of anti-trafficking initiatives.
“Horn stockpile leakage of this magnitude raises serious concerns about South Africa’s current systems to monitor stockpiles, issue permits and detect trafficked contraband at their ports of exit. This incident underscores the urgent need for far more robust and effective systems not only to secure stockpiles but also to shut down the channels through which poached horn continues to leave South Africa,” she said.
Cathy Dean, Grants Lead at NGO Save The Rhinos, said the arrests mark a “critical juncture” in tackling organised crime networks and highlight the challenges in regulating rhino horn trade.
“Every horn trafficked represents not only a threat to rhinos and the ecosystems they call home but also fuels wider organised crime, exploiting people and communities throughout the chain of criminal activity,” she added.
Dion George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, said the complex investigation shows that enforcement agencies will “not hesitate to pursue those who plunder wildlife for criminal profit”.
George added: “South Africa will bring the full force of its laws against those who plunder our wildlife. This arrest proves that syndicates cannot escape justice – no matter how complex their schemes.”
