Counter Poaching Efforts

[H. erectus]

to compensate for the declining state subsidy

I cannot believe it only to say,- "good bye 80,000,000.00"

[Sprocky]

DEAT had a conference today in the venue next to ours. I was so tempted to sit in on theirs, but I would have probably then been fired.

[Richprins]

The summary for finalised rhino matters for April 2012 to March 2013 showed 22 cases in which there were convictions: six cases were withdrawn or struck from the roll, eight cases of conviction for possession of rhino horns, five cases of conviction for dealing in rhino horns and eight cases of conviction for illegal hunting of rhinos. Further, there were two cases in which conviction was only for the illegal possession of firearms or ammunition, 11 cases where the accused were convicted and sentenced to a fine, 16 cases where the accused were convicted and sentenced to direct imprisonment without the option of a fine, 39 cases of the accused being convicted and two cases where the accused were acquitted.

Mr Mketeni said of the accused, there were 51 foreign nationals including 29 Mozambique nationals, ten Vietnamese, five Chinese, three from Thailand, three Zimbabweans, two Congolese and one Malawian national.

Don't know if someone can make sense of this, but the bottom line is about 10% of those arrested get fined or jailed!

Madness!

Also note Viet-Nam 2 China 1 at this stage...so not in agreement with the former being the biggest consumer....maybe the biggest port of entry...one is not allowed to be critical of China, you know! (Hong Kong is China, BTW)

[Richprins]

Mr S Huang (ANC) questioned the increased poaching at SANParks despite the increase in budgets. He wanted an explanation for this. He questioned the increase in illegal rhino killings despite the Department controlling permits. It was an unacceptable proportion. He wanted to know about the Department officials involved in the illegal poaching. He questioned the number of poaching incidents compared to the number of arrests made.

Mr Huang has chosen which horse to back at Mangaung, it seems, as has the Chairman and the other one...good luck to them!

Thanks for this, BTW Toko!

[Richprins]

Dr David Mabunda, SANParks CEO, noted the number of arrests had increased but poaching had not decreased. It was complicated and difficult to fight the scourge given the long border shared with other countries. One of the challenges was the gangs of poachers living in Mozambiquan villages with up to 100% unemployment, along the Limpopo border. SA could not go into Mozambique and do anything about this. He explained the situation was very complex but they were relying on the buffer zone agreement. He emphasised the need for early warning technology.

How the F can the guy in charge of the biggest portion of the disaster say only this?

Nobody else mentioned Mozambique!

[Richprins]

Minister Molewa said she was deeply angered by the contents of the video and work would be done around the co-accused. Justice and law enforcement needed to cooperate with DEA.

Even I can tell the minister the reasoning behind justice.gov's workings....watch this space! They don't want to reveal anything to DEA, for obvious reasons!

[H. erectus]

The horrible part of dedicated nature conservation would be
to become political about the matter!!

However, like it or not, we are faced with this dilemma!!
The most important part of politics would be the deliberation/
dispesation of funding and finance!!! We have many examples
of current activity initiated by .gov!!

It was noted that Sanparks should care for themselves yet they
received a .gov grant of a substantiable amount.

This rather bold action on behalf of .gov at a time that would be
filled by indicision????

I get the feeling that the current ANC members and portfolio
managers do not see themselves as sitting out the new round
after the next ellection!! Maybe why there is little action from
.gov regarding present situations!!

GOOD BYE R80,000,000.00, that decision has been taken!!!

Let's just face fact,-

Sanparks will forever bitch and moan poverty!!

[Richprins]

Forever is a long time, H.!

Very good points!

[Toko]

Army steps in to end rhino massacre

Army steps in to end rhino massacre

November 21 2012 at 07:53am
By Sipho Khumalo and Sapa

Durban - The army has been sent to the Swaziland and Mozambique borders to stop rhino poachers from moving between those countries and South Africa, Ezemvelo KZN chief executive Bandile Mkhize said on Tuesday.

He was addressing the province’s conservation portfolio committee on the rhino poaching crisis at a meeting in Durban.

So far, 570 rhinos have been poached in South Africa this year and, of those, 58 were in KZN.

At the weekend, eight rhinos died when poachers hit a reserve in North West. The Hawks arrested three men – one a park ranger – at their homes in Lethabo township near Brits on Tuesday.

The attack prompted North West Premier Thandi Modise to ask that the army step in as conservation bodies had neither the resources nor the skill to stop the massacre and extinction of one of South Africa’s Big Five.

This call has reverberated across South Africa as conservationists and wildlife authorities despair of stopping the killings.

Mkhize said on Tuesday

that Ezemvelo was also involved in discussions with the army on the technological side of the rhino war.

KZN MEC Meshack Radebe, the political head of conservation, told Tuesday’s meeting that the fight to stop poaching was about the country’s heritage.

“We need to mobilise and sensitise all stakeholders, amakhosi, headmen, councillors and the rural communities about this war and the threat to our heritage. It is clear, given the move involved here, that poachers are prepared to kill and die for these horns,” said Radebe.

IFP MPL Inkosi Ngamizizwe Madlala said: “I am concerned that the killing of eight rhinos in North West will encourage these thugs here in KwaZulu-Natal to be more daring in their criminal deeds. We need to work hard to put an end to this scourge.”

The plan tabled by Ezemvelo will see the formation of a highly specialised task force for reaction and deployment in poaching hotspots. This strategy would be implemented through “good intelligence” rather than reactive measures, said Mkhize.

Part of the plan was for the agency to secure adequate funding and manpower to refocus its resources towards ensuring staff were trained.

“We have reintroduced a helicopter patrol at Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Park with a plan for expansion into other protected areas. A highly qualified information network for covert operations has been appointed and, through structured investigation between Ezemvelo and organised-crime units, we have managed to arrest two syndicates in Zululand,” said Mkhize.

Six new Land Cruisers had been ordered for rhino reserves and the agency had also compiled a security staff list which has been submitted to police intelligence for vetting.


The plan would focus on assessing risk and threats to 13 rhino reserves and five black rhino expansion project sites in the province.

A total of R28.1 million had been set aside for the anti-rhino poaching campaigns, but Ezemvelo was also involved in other fund-raising measures for this programme.


DA MPL Radley Keys said a move to “stem the tide of demand” of horns should be launched by engaging countries like China where the traditional-medicine market was driving demand. - The Mercury

[Flutterby]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/rhinosos/?fref=ts



The KNP "Rhino camp"