Zikalala (KZN) issues part of rhino report - ANTI-POACHING DISASTER
Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 1:52 pm
Zikalala issues part of rhino report
https://pressreader.com/article/281573769304375
It finally comes five years after it was commissioned by KwaZulu-Natal’s former premier, after a surge in rhino poaching.
Mail & Guardian, 20 May 2022 Simon Bloch
Amid public outrage and under pressure from the Democratic Alliance, KwaZulu-Natal's Premier Sihle Zikalala has finally released part one of the report on the province’s rhino poaching crisis.
This week’s release of the first part of the report, titled Massacre Part 1, Report of the Task team into Rhino Poaching in Kwazulu-natal, comes 45 days after the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) spokesperson for environment and tourism, Heinz de Boer, submitted a public access to information application.
The report begins by stating: “Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, an organisation whose predecessor, the Natal Parks Board, was acknowledged as a world leader in conservation, has become a shadow of its former self.”
“Ezemvelo in the recent past has been facing an unprecedented level of poaching of both the critically endangered black and the white rhinos. Rhino poaching at its present levels could destroy the heritage for which the organisation is famous and the very species the organisation saved would again be under threat of extinction,” it warns.
The report was commissioned in 2016 by the province’s former premier, Willies Mchunu, following a surge in rhino poaching.
Documents show Zikalala and his provincial executive repeatedly quashed attempts to make the report public, before De Boer submitted his application. De Boer said the premier’s office kept the report under “lock and key” for more than two years. “The report’s findings and recommendations are critical to the survival of the species. It is unconscionable that it has been withheld from members of the conservation committee, law enforcement authorities, key roleplayers and rhino security experts,” he said.
De Boer said he received notice from Nonhlanhla Mkhize, director general in the premier’s office, advising him that part two of the report would not be released.
“She indicated part two of the report contains confidential information of names of witnesses and information regarding investigations, which is classified in terms of minimum information security standards, when information is classified as restricted, confidential, secret or top secret,” he said. “I am pushing for the conservation committee to receive the second part of the report, so we can sit in committee and properly scrutinise the report.”
The provincial head of the economic development, tourism and environmental affairs department, Ravi Pillay, acknowledged the conservation authority was on the rocks. “As far as Ezemvelo is concerned, it’s an entity in crisis, there’s no dispute about that. We are very concerned about the infiltration of criminal elements and syndicates into the workforce of Ezemvelo.”
Among other things, part one of the report highlights the need for improved relations and cooperation with people surrounding the Hluhluwe imfolozi Park. It speaks of critical gaps in security measures and recommends better leadership, supplementary budgets to boost anti-poaching and security forces and updated equipment for rangers. “There is a chronic shortage of operational manpower,” it says.
Ezemvelo had “to expand its own investigative and intelligence capacity into all aspects of rhino poaching so that it is in a position to support police and prosecutors”.
On Wednesday, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife reported poaching syndicates had killed more than 110 rhinos since January, 100 of them in the Hluhluwe imfolozi Park.
De Boer said: “So you’ve sat on a report for two years, you haven’t tried to implement the recommendations, and now they’ve approved this new budget which the DA voted against and did not support for the reason that the budget does not address the core mandate of Ezemvelo, which is the protection of biodiversity.
“In less than two-and-a-half years, we’ve lost more than 300 rhinos.
“The provincial budget has not been adjusted, nor does it make provisions for extra rangers and more boots on the ground. It simply fails to make any budgetary concessions for any of the report’s recommendations.
“Ezemvelo is like a poisoned chalice. Ezemvelo has been bankrupted through maladministration, nepotism and cadre deployment, as well as procurement and tender corruption. Worst of all, there’s no accountability,” De Boer added.
Lennox Mabaso, Zikalala’s spokesperson, said discussions were underway to ensure the report yielded arrests. “The report was done and there have been processes of discussion between those who are investigating and the assessment internally to ensure that all loopholes are tied up so that when it goes for implementation we are able to move swiftly and apprehend the criminals,” he told the Mail & Guardian.
“There have been some positive developments in that regard ... When we make a public announcement, there will be some issues of some people that have been picked up and arrested in as far as that is concerned.”
https://pressreader.com/article/281573769304375
It finally comes five years after it was commissioned by KwaZulu-Natal’s former premier, after a surge in rhino poaching.
Mail & Guardian, 20 May 2022 Simon Bloch
Amid public outrage and under pressure from the Democratic Alliance, KwaZulu-Natal's Premier Sihle Zikalala has finally released part one of the report on the province’s rhino poaching crisis.
This week’s release of the first part of the report, titled Massacre Part 1, Report of the Task team into Rhino Poaching in Kwazulu-natal, comes 45 days after the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) spokesperson for environment and tourism, Heinz de Boer, submitted a public access to information application.
The report begins by stating: “Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, an organisation whose predecessor, the Natal Parks Board, was acknowledged as a world leader in conservation, has become a shadow of its former self.”
“Ezemvelo in the recent past has been facing an unprecedented level of poaching of both the critically endangered black and the white rhinos. Rhino poaching at its present levels could destroy the heritage for which the organisation is famous and the very species the organisation saved would again be under threat of extinction,” it warns.
The report was commissioned in 2016 by the province’s former premier, Willies Mchunu, following a surge in rhino poaching.
Documents show Zikalala and his provincial executive repeatedly quashed attempts to make the report public, before De Boer submitted his application. De Boer said the premier’s office kept the report under “lock and key” for more than two years. “The report’s findings and recommendations are critical to the survival of the species. It is unconscionable that it has been withheld from members of the conservation committee, law enforcement authorities, key roleplayers and rhino security experts,” he said.
De Boer said he received notice from Nonhlanhla Mkhize, director general in the premier’s office, advising him that part two of the report would not be released.
“She indicated part two of the report contains confidential information of names of witnesses and information regarding investigations, which is classified in terms of minimum information security standards, when information is classified as restricted, confidential, secret or top secret,” he said. “I am pushing for the conservation committee to receive the second part of the report, so we can sit in committee and properly scrutinise the report.”
The provincial head of the economic development, tourism and environmental affairs department, Ravi Pillay, acknowledged the conservation authority was on the rocks. “As far as Ezemvelo is concerned, it’s an entity in crisis, there’s no dispute about that. We are very concerned about the infiltration of criminal elements and syndicates into the workforce of Ezemvelo.”
Among other things, part one of the report highlights the need for improved relations and cooperation with people surrounding the Hluhluwe imfolozi Park. It speaks of critical gaps in security measures and recommends better leadership, supplementary budgets to boost anti-poaching and security forces and updated equipment for rangers. “There is a chronic shortage of operational manpower,” it says.
Ezemvelo had “to expand its own investigative and intelligence capacity into all aspects of rhino poaching so that it is in a position to support police and prosecutors”.
On Wednesday, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife reported poaching syndicates had killed more than 110 rhinos since January, 100 of them in the Hluhluwe imfolozi Park.
De Boer said: “So you’ve sat on a report for two years, you haven’t tried to implement the recommendations, and now they’ve approved this new budget which the DA voted against and did not support for the reason that the budget does not address the core mandate of Ezemvelo, which is the protection of biodiversity.
“In less than two-and-a-half years, we’ve lost more than 300 rhinos.
“The provincial budget has not been adjusted, nor does it make provisions for extra rangers and more boots on the ground. It simply fails to make any budgetary concessions for any of the report’s recommendations.
“Ezemvelo is like a poisoned chalice. Ezemvelo has been bankrupted through maladministration, nepotism and cadre deployment, as well as procurement and tender corruption. Worst of all, there’s no accountability,” De Boer added.
Lennox Mabaso, Zikalala’s spokesperson, said discussions were underway to ensure the report yielded arrests. “The report was done and there have been processes of discussion between those who are investigating and the assessment internally to ensure that all loopholes are tied up so that when it goes for implementation we are able to move swiftly and apprehend the criminals,” he told the Mail & Guardian.
“There have been some positive developments in that regard ... When we make a public announcement, there will be some issues of some people that have been picked up and arrested in as far as that is concerned.”