Animals killed in Vehicle Collisions

[Richprins]

Mabasa confirms Dept. Rural Dev. Meeting in kruger tues. Ministers were in Cape Town. No cctv at gate. Lowvelder

[Toko]

http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/201 ... Parliament


'Skwatsha couldn’t have killed Kruger cheetah – he was in Parliament'
TMG Digital | 29 April, 2016 15:36

Deputy Minister Mcebisi Skwatsha has angrily rejected the allegation that he killed a cheetah in the Kruger National Park.



The claim‚ which appeared on the Wildlife at Risk (War) International Facebook page and sparked vociferous responses from readers‚ read: “SA‚ Hit and run reported in KNP. Possible involvement - Government MEC speeding. Honourable Mcebisi Skwatsha was reported for allegedly killing this beautiful cheetah in the KNP.”

The department of rural development and land reform issued a statement on Friday saying Skwatsha has never even visited the Kruger Park in his life.

Democratic Alliance MP Ken Robertson responded to the post on Facebook saying: “Good day W.A.R‚ I appreciate the awareness you are creating on this forum regarding our natural resources and wildlife. Regarding the cheetah that was hit and killed in the Kruger National Park on the 26th (April) … the animal was hit at approximately 13 h00. Mcebisi Skwatsha from the ANC was in a sitting with me in Parliament at 14h00 on the same day‚ so it could not have been him. We were debating the budget on rural development and land reform. I am no ANC supporter but I am a supporter of fairness.”

Comments sparked by the initial Facebook post were: “Honourable...there is nothing honourable about him” and “These bastards think they can do as they want and are above the law‚ pity it was not Mabasa‚ dead on the road instead” and “Someone should hit "the culprit" at high speed with a car”

SANParks representaive William Mabasa wrote in response: “The story of the minister is not true because there was no minister in Skukuza yesterday or anytime this week. This to us is a very serious matter‚ speculations do not help us at all to get to the culprit.” The department said War made no attempt to contact Skwatsha on before publishing it. He has threatened to take further action if the organisation does not apologise to him. “This false allegation will also hamper finding the real culprit of this regrettable death of one of our protected species.”

[Toko]

Lowvelder reports:

Mr William Mabasa, SANParks head of communications, confirmed on Wednesday that Thompson removed the carcass from the road and ordered that rangers at all gates be on the alert for any vehicle that displayed evidence of a possible collision with an animal. Allegations that it even may have been a ministerial vehicle that had hit the cheetah were also later aired on social media.

Mabasa denied this and said, “There was no minister in Skukuza this week.”

However, he did tell Lowvelder that on Tuesday there was a meeting involving officials from the Department of Land Reform, in connection with a function to be held on May 21, for repatriation of people who made claims to land in the KNP.

Mabasa later said in a statement on Facebook that it pained staff of the park when people came to the KNP but did not want to behave responsibly by following the rules.

“Our law-enforcement officers can only do so much, because they cannot be everywhere to police every vehicle that is in the park from the time they come in until they go out,” he said.

He requested that anyone who has information on the incident or who knows who the culprit is, to contact him.

Spokesman for the national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, Ms Zithini Dlamini, confirmed that officials attended a meeting on the day.

“None of the officials were involved in an accident,” said Dlamini.

She explained that the minister and the deputy ministers were attending a budget vote speech at the National Assembly in Cape Town at the time.

Mabasa considered this a very serious matter. “We request anyone with information to come forward. We are conducting our own investigation by having interviews with all concerned.”

He confirmed that there were no CCTV cameras at the gate.

http://lowvelder.co.za/331119/fury-over ... r-cheetah/

[Lisbeth]

The department of rural development and land reform issued a statement on Friday saying Skwatsha has never even visited the Kruger Park in his life.

Bad enough

People should not start spreading rumours without some kind of proof and I hope that the members of the AW forum will never be involved in any of this kind of hearsay.

[nan]

right, rumours are killing

[Mel]

Mabasa later said in a statement on Facebook that it pained staff of the park when people came to the KNP but did not want to behave responsibly by following the rules.

Hope they are even more pained about their colleagues who are rogues

[Richprins]

Funny this cctv thing...there are cameras at Phabeni and Kruger gate...should be at Malelane too?

[Flutterby]

Issued by Lesley Nyawo of Sanparks:

RUTTING SEASON, DRIVE SLOW ON THE KNP ROADS

The Kruger National Park (KNP) Management would like to inform visitors that as we enter the rutting season, animals such as impala tend to fight and chase each other in the Park; and therefore become dangerous to speeding vehicles. As such the park would like to advise tourists to observe speed limit at all times in order to avoid accidents.

“There have been “hit and run” incidents recently of slow moving tortoises and fast runners such as impala, warthog and cheetah; which can only be attributed to speeding on the roads in the Park. We would like to appeal to the public to always be on the look-out for all kinds of species while driving as these animals have a right of way,” said the KNP Managing Executive, Glenn Phillips.

Impala, especially fighting rams tend to chase each other around in the bush and over the roads, mostly when they are in their rutting season; either to gain dominance over each other or to round-up their female counterparts to join their harems.

“We urge people to please read their permits received at the gates because all the rules and regulations of the park are clearly stipulated in those documents. Visitors can report speeding or any rules and regulations infringement to the Emergency Call Centres on 013 735 4325/013 735 0197 or 076 801 9679”, concluded Phillips.

Issued by
South African National Parks: Kruger National Park - Communications & Marketing Department
Media enquiries either:
William Mabasa, GM: Communications & Marketing, Kruger National Park. Contact: Tel: 013 735 4363, cell: 082 807 3919 or email: william.mabasa@sanparks.org

[Lisbeth]

Do the taxi drivers read the permit (if they get one)?

[Flutterby]

What do you think Lis?