Implications of environment department reshuffle

New minister has links to wild-life breeding operations

- ESG Now reporter

On November 12, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Willem Aucamp as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), replacing Dion George.

The switch comes amid coalition navigation and governance reform efforts, but it also raises alarm bells among conservation, civil society and regulation watchers.

The DFFE sits at the intersection of environmental stewardship, regulatory oversight and economic opportunity. For corporate South Africa, especially sectors tied to natural resources, wildlife, circular economy and green investment, the minister's agenda matters.

Aucamp, currently the national spokesperson of the DA takes the reigns just ahead of major international sustainability, biodiversity and climate negotiations (Cites, COP30, G20).