Namibia's largest rhino farmer says the arrest of his South African hero and mentor, John Hume, is a witch hunt and politically driven. Jaco Muller of the Rhino Momma Project has expressed his opinion after the arrest of the world's largest rhino farmer last week. Asked if this would negatively affect Namibia's application to CITES for the legal trade in rhino horn, Muller said it was precisely because of the ban on the legal trade in rhino horn that Hume went bankrupt. "If there wasn't a ban, he would still be the biggest rhino farmer in the world, still increasing the world's rhino population by 200 calves a year. "I'm 110% sure he's innocent and it's politically driven. The facts will come out and if I'm wrong, I'll be terribly shocked," Muller told Republican. Muller has visited Hume twice and lit a candle on how to farm white rhinos. Namibia, meanwhile, has submitted an application at the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP20) to the United Nations International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to amend the recording of its population of southern white rhinos within CITES Appendix II. According to the document submitted to CITES, it will be exclusive to allow international trade in live animals for in situ conservation, hunting trophies and trade in rhino horn stocks originating in the country owned by the government and private landowners. This will exclude confiscated rhino horn and those of unknown origin. Namibia's document to CITES states that the white rhino population is still under constant threat of illegal poaching, mainly driven by the high value of rhino horn. "In response to the growing poaching risks, these private landowners have borne high security costs, including upgraded fences, ranger patrols and surveillance systems."