The claim by baboon activists that they secured a 'huge win' in court over the City of Cape Town, SANParks and CapeNature seems unjustified. Only one of the specific actions they wanted the authorities to take (the December 2024 ranger extension) was noted in the court order.

Listen to this article 7 min Listen to this article 7 min It has been widely reported in the media that pro-baboon groupings in Cape Town's South Peninsula won an important victory late last year, following litigation against three authorities who share responsibility for baboon management (the City of Cape Town, SANParks and CapeNature).

But is this true? This article attempts to shed some light on the matter.

In April 2024 a court application was lodged by Ryno Engelbrecht, Baboon Matters, Beauty Without Cruelty and Jo-Anne Trennith Bosman, requesting the Western Cape High Court to order the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (JTT) to take a variety of actions. It was widely understood as an attempt to use the courts to hold slow-moving government entities to account for a steadily worsening situation on the ground.

Eight months later, on 6 December 2024, after no public information about the case from either side, a court order was signed by a high court judge. It recorded that the application had been withdrawn by agreement between the applicants and the first three respondents (the city, CapeNature and SANParks, which together comprise the JTT).

The order noted that these three government entities...