Africa Wild

Richprins wrote:This can in no way be termed as "business as usual"....man up!

Correct, yet it can be termed "schlepping baggage" for the courtrooms
are inundated with crap,...

Today's news, the courts still hucking at the arms deal,....
please for goodness sake!!!????

Now you can read here

Editorial in today's Beeld :

The cancelling of the contract with Pathfinder, who were set to carry on until 2016, raises eyebrows. All indications are that their work has been highly successful, and led to a reduction in poaching, so why fire them? According to sources the company "began getting too close to revealing the actual leaders of the network that controls horn smuggling".

If this shocking allegation is true, it would implicate SANParks' in the frightening destruction of our rhino.

The explanation that Pathfinder was fired because it uses "mercenaries", is unacceptable. Many security companies appoint ex-soldiers and police officers. SANParks will have to come up with a better excuse.

Here the Beeld article: SANParke-besluit gaan stropery baie vererger

‘SANParke-besluit gaan stropery baie vererger’
Erika Gibson
Vrydag 13 Junie 2014

Die oorblywende renosters in die Krugerwildtuin gaan die enigste slagoffers wees van ’n skielike besluit deur SANParke om nie langer ’n private spesialis-intelligensie-insamelingsmaatskappy te gebruik nie.

So sê ’n ingeligte wat nie sy naam genoem wil hê nie.

Die maatskappy het volgens dié en ander ingeligtes “te na aan die werklike leiers van die netwerk wat met renosterhoring smokkel, begin kom” net voordat die kontrak ’n week gelede summier opgeskort is.

​Só ly renosters

2013: 606 renosters is in die Krugerwildtuin doodgemaak. 133 stropers is in hegtenis geneem en 47 doodgeskiet.

2014: 293 renosters is tot dusver doodgeskiet. 56 stropers is in hegtenis geneem, maar geen amptelike syfer is beskikbaar van hoeveel stropers al doodgeskiet is nie.

Die besluit kan daartoe lei dat renosterstropery in die wildtuin voor einde vanjaar verdriedubbel, sê hulle.

Tot dusver vanjaar is 293 renosters al in die wildtuin gestroop.

“Dit is generaals en hooggeplaastes in die polisie en die intelligensiedienste wat op grond van valse gerugte dat huursoldate gebruik word kortsigtige besluite neem of dít as rookskerm gebruik.

“Daar is ook wrewel omdat die maatskappy te suksesvol begin raak het nadat die regering se gesamentlike pogings voorheen misluk het om dieselfde sukses te bereik,” het een van die ingeligtes gister gesê.

Die huursoldaatgerugte spruit waarskynlik uit die maatskappy se vroeëre betrokkenheid as risiko-konsultant in Somalië en Madagaskar.

Die meeste van die personeellede is voormalige soldate of polisiebeamptes.

Die wildtuin-operasie se hele netwerk van bronne en operateurs gaan dus nou in duie stort.

“Die moreel is bitter laag,” het ’n bewaarder van SANParke vandeesweek gesê.

’n Onlangse skenking van R250 miljoen van die Amerikaanse miljardêr-belegger Warren Buffett se stigting tesame met ’n verklaring dat Amerikaanse tegnologie nou gebruik gaan word in die stryd teen die stropers het blykbaar ook plaaslik op regeringsvlak tot ontsteltenis gelei.
Kontrak beëindig ná skorsing

Marius Roos, voormalige kolonel in die reserwemag, wou vandeesweek min sê oor die opskorting van die kontrak, veral omdat dit nog tot 4 Julie geldig is.

“Ek het ’n week gelede ’n brief van SANParke se waarnemende hoof, Abe Sibiya, gekry dat ons kontrak, wat eers teen 2016 ten einde sou loop, beëindig word.

“Geen redes is verskaf nie en die klousule in ons kontrak waarvolgens ons wedersyds 30 dae kennis kan gee om dit op te skort, is gebruik om die kontrak te kanselleer.”

Die kontrak is opgeskort nadat dr. Hector Magome, SANParke se hoof van bewaringsdienste, geskors en Sibu Nyembe, hoof van regsdienste, bedank het voordat hy glo ook geskors sou word.​

Pathfinder Corporation het die afgelope 18 maande ’n direkte aandeel in die suksesse teen renosterstropers gehad omdat dit aan weerskante van die grens in Suid-Afrika en in Mosambiek by inligtinginsameling betrokke is. 47 stropers is doodgeskiet en 133 gearresteer.

Afgesien van die kontrak met SANParke het Pathfinder ook kontrakte met Sabi Sands en die Chissano-stigting in Mosambiek om die oorsaak van die renosterstropingsprobleem holisties te benader.

In Mosambiek het die stigting en Pathfinder trouens saam ’n maatskappy genaamd Rhula Intelligent Solutions op die been gebring waarin die stigting die beherende aandeel het.

In die Krugerwildtuin het dit die gesamentlike operasiekamer van SANParke se teenstropingstaakspan bedryf met twee ontleders wat voltyds inligting verwerk en aan die wildtuin se personeel en die weermag beskik- baar gestel het.

In Mosambiek was Rhula een van die hoofrolspelers in die aanvaarding van wetgewing wat wildstropery vir die eerste keer tot misdaad verklaar het.

Would like to see SANparks response

can't comment without being rude.

Could all this have anything to do with Dr. Mabundas being sacked

The source says it is felt the board is getting rid of pro-Mabunda officials.

Magome joined SANParks in 1996 and since leading the conservation services division he has assisted the organisation in introducing and pioneering a series of policy initiatives that have helped re-engineer the leadership role of SANParks. Magome’s career highlights in broader environment and conservation include being the Regional Vice-Chair for IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) for Southern Africa, 2004-2009; he serves on the Advisory Committee of WWF-SA, as well as on various conservation and development boards; and he is one of the key spokespeople on controversial conservation issues such as elephant management.

He has authored, co-authored and contributed to several publications regarding conservation and biodiversity; and he was the winner of the Fiona Alexander Prize for Best Researcher for his PhD at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology in the University of Kent, UK in 2004.

Magome’s suspension coincides with the early termination of a contract with Pathfinder Corp headed by Marius Roos, a colonel in the South African Army Reserve Force. Pathfinder held the security contract for SANParks and was involved in the collection of rhino poaching information. According to the SAPA report Thakuli refused to comment further in this regard.

Roos represented the South African delegation at a White House forum in 2013 to counter the illicit trade in wildlife. At President Obama’s direction, the United States is intensifying its assistance to foreign governments working to combat wildlife trafficking and related organised crime. Although the initiative will act globally, Obama has made his concerns about Africa known. ‘The entire world has a stake in making sure that we preserve Africa’s beauty for future generations,’ he said in Tanzania last year.

In a telephone interview, Roos stated that ‘there was no connection between Magome’s suspension and the termination of Pathfinder’s contract with SANParks’, and had no further comment on the subject.

http://www.peterborchert.com/south-afri ... suspended/







Case Study 2: Pathfinder in South African National Parks – protecting environmental assets

Whenever South African National Parks (SANParks), implements an anti-poaching initiative to curb the illegal killing of rhino or our wildlife, one can be assured that behind the process sits a sound strategy developed out of vital intelligence gathering and vast expertise in the field of environmental protection. The source of this intelligence and action is Pathfinder, foremost experts in environmental asset protection and a longterm strategic partner to the SANParks anti-poaching unit. Pathfinder work closely with Major General Johan Jooste in the research, planning, management and implementation of all environmental asset protection strategies across the 20 national parks. With a footprint and networks across Africa they are ideally positioned to manage the environmental assets of the continent. In accordance with co-operation agreements between SANParks, local and international law enforcement agencies plus governments and environmental bodies around the world, Pathfinder works in close collaboration with these organisations to maintain the seven pillars of environmental sustainability. These include: Biodiversity management, conservation and protection Compliance with CITES and other relevant internationally binding Conventions Forestry and biodiversity law enforcement and compliance with domestic frameworks and applicable conventions Strengthen the cooperation on the above through the exchange of information, best practice and research Technology use, transfer and development Natural resource management and wildlife trade Protected areas management, community development, sustainable livelihoods, and other areas related to the prevention of poaching and wildlife conservation With specialised strategic insight, extensive military expertise, vast experience in bush warfare and the containment of hostile environments, plus a wide network of intelligence gatherers throughout South Africa and Africa, extending into the eastern countries, Pathfinder is ideally equipped to research, plan, manage and implement strategic missions designed to counter the insurgency war against rhino and other endangered wildlife species. It is no secret that the Kruger National Park has borne the brunt of poaching activities and Pathfinder believes that the only way to win this war is to control all commands from one point through sound intelligence, the deployment of highly trained operatives, advanced technology and intensive discipline. The five-year strategy involves a unified approach involving technology, ground resource, and vital intelligence that will be used to sanitize and contain the vast landscape covered by our national parks, with a vision to protect our environmental asset at our backs rather than reacting to the attacks in front. Governed by total confidentiality, the Pathfinder strategic plan for SANParks is slowly starting to make an impact on global poaching activities, with far-reaching consequences for the international syndicates and illegal chain of command. Increased support and financial aid is being sought globally to accelerate the impact and eliminate the killing to avoid total extinction of our rhino, with other species not far behind as ultimate targets.

http://www.pathcorp.co.za/case_studies.html