This is the biggest problem with the IUCN. They move slow. They move glacially. (I'm sure you know this all too well David.) It's been known for years that these are separate species. At 5-6 mya separation between africana and cyclotis these species are almost as divergent as Elaphus and Mammuthus.
I've attached a chart I did some years ago showing the divergent patterns in Panthera, Giraffa, Homo, and Elephantidae to illustrate the time distances between each species. The dates are calculated from the most current DNA testings from 2011. When a range of dates were given, either a midpoint or the most conservative date was used (I can't remember which off the top of my head).
