Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boundary

Information & discussion on the Rhino Poaching Pandemic
User avatar
Toko
Posts: 26619
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:29 pm
Country: -

Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boundary

Post by Toko »

http://www.netwerk24.com/nuus/2015-03-1 ... t-wildtuin

Renosterstropers kry nou vanuit SA toegang tot wildtuin

Deur Leanne George Woensdag 18 Maart 2015 18:49


Sindikate wat agter renosterstropery sit, is wetstoepassers klaarblyklik alweer een voor.

Sedert die weermag se herontplooiiing in die Krugerwildtuin in 2011, kom minder stropers oor die oostelike grens van die reservaat met Mosambiek in.

Sindikate infiltreer blykbaar nou plakkerskampe en nedersettings in Suid-Afrika wat aan die wildtuin grens.

Tydens teenstropingdemonstrasies wat die weermag, polisie en SANParke se veldwagters Woensdag naby Skukuza gehou het, het maj. Sipho Ndlangamandla, waarnemende stafoffisier van operasies by die weermag se gesamentlike operasiesentrum in Nelspruit, gesê nedersettings wat aan die suidelike dele van die wildtuin grens, is veral ’n probleem.

“Voordat ons in 2011 teruggekeer het na die wildtuin, het die stropery amper hand-uit geruk. Ons het dit reggekry om die oostelike grens by Mosambiek te stabiliseer,” het hy gesê.

“Maar nou kry die stropers van binne Suid-Afrika oor die westelike grens toegang tot die wildtuin.”

Volgens Ndlangamandla het sindikate armoedige nedersettings veral tussen Witrivier en Pretoriuskop in die suide en in die omgewing noord van Klaserie geïnfiltreer.

“Die sindikate kry mense in die nedersettings om inligting in te samel oor wat in die wildtuin aangaan.”

Hy het verduidelik private wildreservate in die Sabie- en Klaserie-omgewings dien as ’n buffer, omdat hul eie sekuriteit baie goed is.

Renosterstropery in die wildtuin vind hoofsaaklik suid van die Olifantsrivier plaas.

“Die weermag is tans nie so aktief in die noorde nie, omdat minder stropers daar oor die grense kom en daar ook minder renosters loop. Renosters verkies die plantegroei in die suide,” het Ndlangamandla gesê.

Hoewel die weermag en veldwagters stropers vastrek, rus die onus om sindikate te infiltreer en inligting oor hul werking in te samel op die polisie se misdaadintelligensie en die Staatsveiligheidsagentskap.

In die 2013-’14-boekjaar was 61% van vervolgings teen verdagtes wat weens stropery in hegtenis geneem is, suksesvol. Tog word daar elke jaar meer renosters doodgemaak en gestroop.

Die departement van omgewingsake se jongste syfers toon 1215 renosters is verlede jaar vir hul horings doodgemaak, teenoor 1004 in 2013.

Stropers werk meestal in groepe van drie of meer: een dra die vuurwapen, een die proviand en die derde die byl om die horing mee af te kap.

Volgens lt.kol. Albert de Lange, inligtingoffisier by die weermag se gesamentlike operasiesentrum in Nelspruit, word stopers ondervra onmiddellik nadat hulle vasgetrek is en verkieslik nog voordat hulle die polisiekantoor bereik.

“Sodra hulle in die polisieselle kom, praat hulle onder mekaar en word heeltemal stom.

“So, ons gebruik die verrassingselement kort nadat hulle in hegtenis geneem is om soveel inligting moontlik oor waar hulle vandaan kom en vir wie hulle werk, te kry.”


User avatar
Toko
Posts: 26619
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:29 pm
Country: -

Re: Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boun

Post by Toko »

Here the same in English


http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?o ... Itemid=188

Army major maintains military presence has seen a decrease in Mozambican poachers

Written by defenceWeb, Thursday, 19 March 2015

Poachers accessing the Kruger National Park from Mozambique are, according to an Army officer, not as big a problem currently as people living on the western side of the internationally renowned game reserve.

Major Sipho Ndlangamandla, acting operations staff officer at the Nelspruit joint operations centre, is reported by Afrikaans daily Beeld as saying fewer poachers are entering Kruger from the eastern national border with Mozambique.

He said since the military was redeployed to the Kruger National Park in 2011 fewer rhino poachers were entering the park from Mozambique.

According to him poaching syndicates infiltrate Kruger from squatter camps and communities, he used the Afrikaans word “nedersettings” meaning settlements, on the park’s western boundary.

“Before the military came back to Kruger in 2011, poaching was almost out of control. We managed to stabilise the eastern boundary with Mozambique,” he told a counter-poaching demonstration arranged for media near Skukuza this week.

Ndlangamandla said rhino horn syndicates had infiltrated communities between White River and Pretoriuskop in the south as well as some in the area north of Klaserie.

“The syndicates use these people to collect intelligence for them on what is happening inside Kruger,” he said, adding infiltration of rhino poaching syndicates had to be done by the SA Police Service’s crime intelligence division and the State Security Agency.

Private game reserves in the Sabie and Klaserie areas acted as buffers preventing easy access for rhino poachers to Kruger, he said, and this meant soldiers were concentrating anti- and counter-poaching activities south of the Olifants River.

Soldiers deployed to the Kruger National Park have as their primary task border protection in terms of Operation Corona but they assist rangers, police and others in the ongoing battle against rhino poaching. Last year poachers killed 1 215 rhinos nationally with Kruger bearing the brunt of the poaching.

The Department of Environment Affairs has only once this year made public information about rhino kills. That was on January 22 when the kill figure was given as 49 of which 29 were in Kruger.

Environment Affairs Minister Edna Molewa recently indicated rhino kill statistics would “probably” only be issued once every three or four months.


User avatar
Toko
Posts: 26619
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:29 pm
Country: -

Re: Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boun

Post by Toko »



Polentswa
Posts: 302
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2015 6:32 am
Country: South Africa
Location: Port Elizabeth / Summerstrand
Contact:

Re: Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boun

Post by Polentswa »

The West is where the majority of entry points are. I am good friends of the Kingfisherspruit Section Ranger(Orpen area)and in Aug 2014 he told me that he had lost 65 Rhino to date for 2014 and his section is but one of 22 in Kruger..OK its bigger than most as it takes in the Ngala section of Timbavati as well.

The heat is on ..on the East boundary with army etc so the Moz criminal murderers come in via Komatipoort and Giryondo (another reason to close the politically motivated Giryondo and Pafuri Gates). They come around to the Hoedspruit, Acornhoek, Bushbuckridge area ...meet with handlers and fellow SA Poachers and enter the Park at Orpen mainly as normal tourists who stay under the radar ...don't speed, litter, even bring wives and kids to look more normal ...In the evening near a 'quiet ' Rhino sighting they will then drop off a gunman and an axeman and pick them up next morning...and gone...apparently at Acornhoek and Bushbuck Ridge and White River township Night clubs there are some VERY Wealthy young guys who impress the chicks with their new material wealth ..all proceeds 'from the Horn'..and our efficient non corrupt Govt does ...Zilch, Nada , NIKS


Mabuasehube and Caprivi are calling
User avatar
Richprins
Committee Member
Posts: 75832
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: NELSPRUIT
Contact:

Re: Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boun

Post by Richprins »

Ja...not much difference between SA and Moz communities regarding splashing wealth, unfortunately! The difference may be that SA communities will realise that the poachers are contributing to the eventual dessication of the gigantic Lowveld Tourism Economy?

Moz poachers are experienced and much in demand in SA, with kingpins importing them to the whole republic.


Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596
User avatar
Flutterby
Posts: 44150
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:28 pm
Country: South Africa
Location: Gauteng, South Africa
Contact:

Re: Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boun

Post by Flutterby »

If they are going in as tourists with guns and axes, why aren't they being searched, and if they are leaving with one less guest, why isn't this being picked up??? Are the gate guards in on it too? O/


Polentswa
Posts: 302
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2015 6:32 am
Country: South Africa
Location: Port Elizabeth / Summerstrand
Contact:

Re: Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boun

Post by Polentswa »

Polentswa wrote:
Richprins wrote:Ja...not much difference between SA and Moz communities regarding splashing wealth, unfortunately! The difference may be that SA communities will realise that the poachers are contributing to the eventual dessication of the gigantic Lowveld Tourism Economy?

quote]

Rich I don't think the local SA Communities give a Toss about the Lowveld Tourism Economy apart from ALSO wanting to drive a BMW with 4 exhaust Pipes and ultra Low Profile tyres to park next to the shack with a Dish


Mabuasehube and Caprivi are calling
User avatar
Richprins
Committee Member
Posts: 75832
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: NELSPRUIT
Contact:

Re: Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boun

Post by Richprins »

Flutts... Kruger got a private security company to do Security at gates, then fired them and took it back... but things not much better, IMO. Anyone can be bought.

Peter, many locals on the Western side benefit from Kruger, vs none on the Moz side!


Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596
Polentswa
Posts: 302
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2015 6:32 am
Country: South Africa
Location: Port Elizabeth / Summerstrand
Contact:

Re: Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boun

Post by Polentswa »

Richprins wrote:
Peter, many locals on the Western side benefit from Kruger, vs none on the Moz side!
Rich ...totally agree ...BUT the Field Ranger friend of mine (Black) went home for a week end and saw all the young wannabe Sandton Hollywood types ..OUR NEW generation of up coming CONSUMERS & LEADERS Hero worshipping the Rich guys (Rhino Poaching new Rich)..Yes while the Kruger supplies Grass to the peasant older folks to thatch their traditional huts so Rhino Horn benefits are seen by the new entitled to everything mindset youth see Rhino Poaching as a way to a Kenny Kunene lifestyle ...This Field Ranger saw it with his own eyes while back home on leave..These young types are not interested in Conservation one bit ..they just want out of their rural back water and if that means the extinction of Rhino ..who are they to care as long as Sandton City and a Rhodesless UCT remain they are happy..I guess I am privaledged to have inside info ..sometimes I wish I didn't


Mabuasehube and Caprivi are calling
User avatar
Richprins
Committee Member
Posts: 75832
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: NELSPRUIT
Contact:

Re: Poaching Syndicates Operating from Kruger's Western Boun

Post by Richprins »

Don't know what Rhodes has to do with it, but makes sense, Peter... 0=

That is why the chiefs and Elders need to step in! 0*\


Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596
Post Reply

Return to “Rhino Management and Poaching”