Rhino Relocations

[Lisbeth]

You want to have the last word

[Richprins]

Kruger misses window to move Rhinos

August 23 2014 at 11:44am
By SAPA


Mpumalanga - Rhino at the Kruger National Park will not be moved this year, SA National Parks said on Saturday.

“We have missed the window to remove the animals because it is now getting warmer. The best time to move them is in winter,” spokesman Isaac Phaahla told Sapa.


This is absolutely the best time to move them, should it be an emergency. A good two months of better and better dry conditions remain!

He said a project plan had been developed but it was still with the board of SanParks, waiting approval.

“Once approved, the plan will be implemented,” he said.

According to SP, a "project plan" had been approved by Management last year already, albeit apparently unauthorised by the Board, who knew about it, though, but didn't tell the Minister, who said there was no such plan, then the Board fired Magome, who said everyone knew about it...etc. etc.





Phaahla said the rationale behind the move was to grow the number of the animals while at the same time preserving their safety.

He said a lot of work would go into investigating the places where the animals would be kept.



A lot of work will go into damage control regarding this farce, publically, but the rhino have been sold, and they will go to their new owners. That is a fact of law.



“The animals will only be moved to an area where they will be properly looked after and protected from poachers. They will only be moved to areas where there is expertise for their well-being,” he said.

“The move will probably happen next year.”



No it won't.

On August 12, Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa announced that rhino along the eastern boundary of the Kruger National Park would be moved to strongholds both inside and outside the flagship reserve to protect them from poachers.

No new news there. But Molewa needs to get full-time on the job of eradicating corruption/collusion within Kruger and SANParks and SAPS and SANDF and Dept. of International Relations and Dept. of Customs and Excise regarding leaks. That is the first step now!




She said her department was also looking at moving some rhino out of the country.

“Part of the translocation will include the Southern African Development Community, the SADC area in particular... We have already started discussions with Botswana, we are working with Zambia, we are working with other countries, but more intensely those two in particular,” she said at the time.

Sapa

[H. erectus]

Media Release: SANParks puts translocation of rhino into perspective

Date: 28th August 2014

South African National Parks (SANParks) today responded to recent reports that Cabinet’s decision to translocate rhino from the Iconic Kruger National Park has been postponed.

Ike Phaahla, SANParks Media Specialist, was quoted in a Sunday newspaper as contradicting the Minister by stating that the programme would only be implemented from next year. SANParks realises the importance of protecting the animals by implementing the strategy announced by the Minister on behalf of cabinet and has no intention to delay the implementation of Cabinet’s decision and by implication defying the Minister.

“In my explanation yesterday (23 August 2014), I merely gave context to the fact that there is currently no definite date that has been set aside for the translocations to take place, the fact is that we have to plan the logistics around the translocations as required. The reports suggesting a postponement were false and that the best time to do mass capturing and translocations was coming to a close. I had stated that the period recommended by scientists is between March and October and that is what I pointed out. At no stage did I mention a date and suggest that this will only take place next year.” said Phaahla.

The translocations will be taking place as soon as all the planning has been finalised and SANParks will take the public into their confidence.

Phaahla concluded by saying that any misunderstanding due to his explanation was regrettable and hopes that the picture will be made clearer by future announcements of the start of the relocations by the SANParks Board.

Issued by:
South African National Parks (SANParks) Corporate Communications
Tel: 012 426 5170

Media enquiries:
Reynold “Rey” Thakhuli
SANParks Acting Head of Communications
Tel: 012 426 5203; Cell: 073 373 4999
Email: rey.thakhuli@sanparks.org
_________________
Lesego Nko
Web forum and Online Stakeholder Relations
Lesego.nko@sanparks.org
Tel: (012) 426 5202

[PennyinSA]

May be so bold as to ask how one grows rhino after they have been sold to hunting farms who do not have the infrastructure to cope with security and where the grazing if totally unsuitable for rhino? This here rhino is deceased - if you hadn't moved it then it would still be deceased!! I am at a total loss for words given the contradictions the conflicting stories, the poorly worded media releases and everything else that is going into this smoke and mirrors exercise!

[Lisbeth]

It is all a ridiculous temptation not to loose votes and credibility

If Phaahla's last speech/press conference was quoted correctly, he said exactly that...:" only during winter....... and had to be postponed to next year". Why don't they agree between them before opening their big mouths

This is becoming a farce

[Richprins]

Phaahla concluded by saying that any misunderstanding due to his explanation was regrettable and hopes that the picture will be made clearer by future announcements of the start of the relocations by the SANParks Board.


Who is going to make the announcements then?

This really is pathetic...AGAIN.


Maybe some background as regards the workings of SA parastatals, for the benefit of foreign viewers:

Firstly, at management level, there are boards appointed, with weird and wonderful figures mostly having political or big-business experience, not really qualified to handle the relevant industry. Kuseni Dlamini is an example regarding SANParks...fabulously wealthy and connected but with few or no conservation credentials.

Secondly, these boards rely on the intel from the organisations' top-level management, which is provided selectively...and then they report selectively to the Minister in charge, once having checked their finances first!

Thirdly, once there is a problem, there is a cumbersome process of the boards trying to find out what is actually going on, and postponing/obfuscating takes place along the entire top-level food chain, with the naughty ones having time to cover their tracks.

Fourthly, the Minister gets irritated by public and especially Parliamentary/media pressure, and actually makes an effort to find out what is going on, redeeming him or herself and drawing a line, so to speak, in case it comes back to bite him or her.

Fifthly, the parastatal then scrambles to please explain, but only after monies have been paid, handshakes given etc. This is where lower-level potential scapegoats like Phaahla and Thakhuli are left with the mess, and don't know the details.



The point is, it is all reactive, not proactive. And that is the problem. They need to be caught before action is taken.

Not to be political, but this parastatal problem exists with Eskom, Transnet, Sanral, SABC, Denel etc. One can google it, and there is no reason why SANParks should be different, logically, as warned in 2009 already!

[Duke]

SANParks Board Media Release

Date: 28th August 2014

SANParks notes that in a number of media and social media articles, it is incorrectly stated that SANParks has sold 260 rhinos to private land owners in the Northern Cape.

This media reporting of sales of rhinos apparently refers to transactions which were based on the unauthorised commitment by a member of the SANParks Executive which exceeded the Board’s delegated authority. This member of the SANParks Executive has subsequently been suspended, pending disciplinary action, and an independent forensic audit has been commissioned into this matter. The Board of SANParks has not, prior to, or during, any subsequent time, approved any decision to sell any number of rhino. The SANParks Board has been constantly engaging with experts and stakeholders on the issue of combatting rhino poaching since the current poaching crisis emerged, as well as developing and implementing responses. In this context, the Board held a strategic workshop during July 2014 during which the revised rhino management strategy was formulated. Following the recent announcement of a cabinet-approved policy guidance by the Minister of Environmental Affairs, the Board is now in a position to finalise its strategy to address the rhino poaching crisis. “The Board has now made a decision to, inter alia,move some rhinos out of high risk areas or areas with too high densities of rhinos. These movements may include movements within parks, between parks, to provincial reserves, community areas or private areas”, said Kuseni Dlamini, Chairman of SANParks. “Rhino management implementation plans, which will include details of numbers and possible destinations, still need to be approved by the Board and the Minister of Environmental Affairs and will be undertaken with due sensitivity and in compliance with the relevant governance frameworks”, added Dlamini.

Issued by:
SANParks Board

[H. erectus]

it is incorrectly stated that SANParks has sold 260 rhinos to private land owners in the Northern Cape.

Just sommer nog a joke!!!

[Richprins]

It is really becoming a bit pointless now, regarding exhuming this claptrap. Normally with this amount of tightrope-walking a lot of money has disappeared, so let's wait for that.

Anyway...

Date: 28th August 2014

SANParks notes that in a number of media and social media articles, it is incorrectly stated that SANParks has sold 260 rhinos to private land owners in the Northern Cape.


No, that is correct. Kruger and Magome have sold the rhino. At least one operator has confirmed.

This media reporting of sales of rhinos apparently refers to transactions which were based on the unauthorised commitment by a member of the SANParks Executive which exceeded the Board’s delegated authority. This member of the SANParks Executive has subsequently been suspended, pending disciplinary action, and an independent forensic audit has been commissioned into this matter.


Yes..transactions means sales. Money has changed hands or been vouched for. This is how economics works! Magome was either naughty, or saw he would be the scapegoat. SP releases said the sales were going on, so what now?



The Board of SANParks has not, prior to, or during, any subsequent time, approved any decision to sell any number of rhino.

Ja! The board is only now waking up! After bothersome media and the horrible social media attention! Kruger and SANParks have been selling rhino for years..where was the board then?




The SANParks Board has been constantly engaging with experts and stakeholders on the issue of combating rhino poaching since the current poaching crisis emerged, as well as developing and implementing responses.


Rubbish...the board gets together when it suits them...a lot now, it must be said!



In this context, the Board held a strategic workshop during July 2014 during which the revised rhino management strategy was formulated. Following the recent announcement of a cabinet-approved policy guidance by the Minister of Environmental Affairs, the Board is now in a position to finalise its strategy to address the rhino poaching crisis.

Why is there now a finalised strategy if the board has been "constantly engaging with experts and stakeholders on the issue of combating rhino poaching since the current poaching crisis emerged"? This was many years ago, and the board said squat, and left everything to SP and DEA?




“The Board has now made a decision to, inter alia, move some rhinos out of high risk areas or areas with too high densities of rhinos. These movements may include movements within parks, between parks, to provincial reserves, community areas or private areas”, said Kuseni Dlamini, Chairman of SANParks.



This is a months-old decision, wrapped in an enigma. Moving rhino from "too high density areas" is just a response to a suggestion from SP, and doesn't really make sense, unless simply justifying sales. Surely such an area would be prime regarding protection?



“Rhino management implementation plans, which will include details of numbers and possible destinations, still need to be approved by the Board

But the board has now made a decision?



and the Minister of Environmental Affairs

She has also made a decision?




and will be undertaken with due sensitivity and in compliance with the relevant governance frameworks”, added Dlamini.


Then don't "include details of numbers and possible destinations"?


Issued by:
SANParks Board

[Lisbeth]

The menu is getting monotonous