Counter Poaching Efforts

[Twigga]

.........snort......breath.....



An optimistic oppurtunist, now every Koos, Piet Jan seeks the chance to earn a few bucks??!!

What's next?

[Toko]

DA KZN

Speaker today is truly a sad day, a tragic time in KwaZulu-Natal for heritage and what we may not be able to bequeath to the generations that follow us. We will be harshly judged on our animal husbandry and how we allowed a rare species to pass into extinction.
Obhejane bakwa KwaZulu-Natal bazonyamalala uma singenzi luthu. Sesiside isikathi sikhuluma kodwa singenzi lutho, Obhejane bayaqubeka beyafa, izinkhulumo ngeke zivikele lezi zilwane zethu unQonqoshe sekyyisikathi ukuba athate inzinyathelo zoku vikela lezilwane.
We know what is at stake – at the present rate of killing, in 15 years time rhino will be a gravely endangered species on the brink of extinction. During the past 12 months, eight rhinos have been slaughtered in Isimangaliso. In the rest of the province this year alone, more than 50 have been butchered for their horns. The worst mauling of our heritage in the history of our province since they were hunted to near extinction in the early 20th century.
The contrast of what needs to be done and what is being done is sobering indeed.
To protect and preserve our rhinos we need:
Internal to Ezemvelo:
- A committed and courageous army of rangers to fight off the parasites that make their millions out of killing
- Equipment that can counteract that of these murderers
- Training that orients and prepares our rangers for the worst possible situations they are forced to face
- A safe environment for the rhinos – fenced reserves and strict access controls.
- Leadership that employs capable and competent managers and commanders in this war, and Speaker, it is indeed a war
- An MEC who leads the way into battle
- A team that puts the heritage of our province first
External to Ezemvelo:
- An effective and efficient police unit dedicated to investigating, arresting and bringing the culprits to court
- A judiciary that imposes harsh penalties for poachers
- A vibrant foreign affairs that closes down the demand from the east
- A vigilant Home Affairs that prevents illegal trade and movement of our rhinos out of our country
- To use the SANDF as a backup and support for our rangers
Stem the demand, prosecute the poachers, imprison the kingpins behind these stooges who are used to plunder rhino horns and decimate their numbers, get rid of employees in Ezemvelo who are complicit in this destruction – then we will see a turning of the tide in the war.
But, Speaker, what do we instead witness as the killing continues?
- Some rangers, employed to protect are double agents implicated in poaching. They are like paedophiles in a crèche, dressed in the right uniforms uttering the expected words, but harbouring an agenda to destroy, maim and kill.
- Our soldiers in the war must be equipped to fight the enemy, guns, vehicles and aircraft. Without that, we are sending them to fail at best and be killed at worst. We auction rhinos and other animals, but that money is not used to purchase equipment to fight the war. Ezemvelo hopes the private sector will fund their failure to provide the weapons.
- The training our rangers received must be intensified to enable them and equip them to handle the worst case scenario
- Our reserves have porous fences, broken down barriers where access into our reserves is not stopped – eg Hluhluwe Imfolozi, and Ndumo
- Access controls are slack and undesirable elements freely enter and leave our reserves
- There is no dedicated budget to fight poaching – an indictment on Ezemvelo, exposing its lack of vision and determination to stem the scourge of poaching.
Then there is leadership, or in this case a serious lack of leadership – what we witness is friends and associates employed in senior and responsible positions, not for their competence, but for their close links with the CEO. This is a recipe for failure when competence is not the priority qualification.
A general leads his troops, has his feet on the ground and has impeccable intelligence on the enemy’s movements. Too often our commanders are ivory tower residents fiddling while rhinos are butchered into extinction.
What we have in the MEC is an absent MEC, silent on the slaughter taking place in front of him. Absent from portfolio committees or leaving early, but definitely not a leader committed to preserving the heritage of our province’s rhinos. His use of the state’s helicopter exceeds the number of hours aircraft are in the air to preserve the rhino.
If we had an MEC, visible and up front, with a CEO employing only competent commanders, we would be most of the way to building a formidable team to rid our province of the poaching scum and their masters. Sadly the problem starts at the top, and that’s where we need to address it as a matter of urgency.
The external elements need to be brought into the fray – the SAPS, SANDF, judiciary, Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs.
The private sector is active and committed. Ezemvelo must match their dedication and energy if we are to make any headway in this war. We demand this of Ezemvelo leadership, the MEC and every person in the employ of our wildlife organisation.
Radley Keys MPP

[Lisbeth]

DA KZN

Wow!! Beautiful words, great advice, right procedures to follow.............but who, how and where does the money come from? The last articles that I read said that the KZN parks are broke

[BunnyHugger]

A very sad indictment against the government and Parks officials.

Lis, there is plenty money. Just not enough is allocated to the things that are important. Like maintaining our road infrastructure and preserving our heritage. The money that has been plundered and misspent amounts to far more than the shortfall needed to effectively protect the Rhino from extinction.

Once again, I call for the resignation of Dr Mabunda and the current SANPARKS "leadership". Way too many Rhinos have died on your watch. Never mind calling for his resignation, I think he should be dismissed. But then that's just my personal opinion.

Instead of spending effort and energy on commercialization strategies, why not do what you are in office to do? Protect our wildlife. What are the strategies going to help when there is nothing to see anymore?

[BunnyHugger]

You know Flutts, that's not a half bad idea.

We should collect a few hundred bags of hair shavings and in a massive demonstration against the chinese, go and dump it in the embassy.

It might get a bit hairy trying to get all that junk in.

[Toko]

DA: Rhino Poaching - Why Are the SAPS Personnel Leaving the Kruger Park?

Democratic Alliance

South Africa: Rhino Poaching - Why Are the SAPS Personnel Leaving the Kruger Park?
26 OCTOBER 2012

PRESS RELEASE

Despite the high incidence of rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park, which was reported this week as having already exceeding 280 rhinos, a dedicated group of police personnel will be withdrawn from the Kruger National Park by the end of October. The DA has been informed by a high ranking source in the SAPS that the decision will be formalised at a meeting of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) today.

Apparently top management in the SAPS did not make an application for funds in the adjustment budget, and are now without funding for these specialised anti-poaching operations. The DA is deeply concerned by the proposed redeployment of these police personnel, and calls on the National Police Commissioner Riah Piyega and Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to urgently intervene to stop the redeployment.

The police officers affected by this decision range between eight and twenty in number. They are very experienced in conducting police work in a bush environment, and have been successful in assisting park rangers track and arrest poachers. Most importantly, this group of police officers has a dedicated helicopter used in anti-poaching operations that will also be removed from the Park.

One would think that in the R62.5bn budget that Parliament appropriated to the police that there would be funds available for the anti-poaching efforts in Kruger. It makes matters worse that the police, after six months into the financial year, are under spending their budget. If funds for specialised budgeted programmes are a problem then the relevant officials should have applied for a virement in the adjustment budget, which would involve the shifting of funds between identified activities in the budget.

Since the beginning of 2010 approximately 700 rhinos have been killed by poachers in the Kruger National Park. The rate of poaching is increasing despite increased enforcement efforts. Yesterday Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan made an extra R80m available for efforts to combat poaching in Kruger. This will among other things pay for the 150 additional rangers and the introduction of improved aerial surveillance technology. As of now 49 of the additional rangers are in the field, a further 50 will complete training in the coming days, and the final 50 will be in the field by the end of the financial year.

While some enforcement capabilities are thus improving, it is a blow that the specialised police personnel are being removed. South Africa's top cops must ensure that the group of police officers deployed in Kruger remain in place at the end of the month. I will be publishing parliamentary questions to the Police Minister next week asking why additional funds were not requested and what steps he is taking to ensure a continued police presence in South Africa's premier conservation area.

Gareth Morgan, Shadow Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs

[Toko]

Petition to sign here: Govt of Vietnam: Sign the memorandum of understanding with South Africa over rhino poaching

Rhino poaching for use of the horn as an aphrodisiac is reaching epidemic proportions in South Africa, with over 1400 rhinos poached so far, and over 460 so far in 2012 alone. Vietnam is believed to be the main trade destination for illegally poached rhino horn. The South African Dept of the Environment and the Vietnam govt undertook to sign a memorandum of understanding a year ago (see http://mg.co.za/article/2011-09-28-sa-v ... o-poachers) to curb poaching. Today the Mail and Guardian reports that Vietnam has failed to sign the memorandum (http://mg.co.za/article/2012-10-18-viet ... -agreement). We call upon the Govt of Vietnam, which is a signatory to CITES, to honour its commitment and sign the memorandum so that the poaching of this magnificent and threatened animal can be curbed. If the Govt of Vietnam fails to honour its obligations, then we call upon every South African and everyone who has ever spent a wonderful holiday here watching our wildlife to boycott Vietnamese goods and not to travel to Vietnam. Rhinos deserve better than this.

[Flutterby]

[Dewi]

[Sprocky]