Skukuza – President Jacob Zuma on Sunday paid tribute to Kruger National Park rangers for their efforts to curb rhino poaching and ensure the survival of the species.
“Today (Sunday) I witnessed first-hand what is being done by our brave men and women to combat rhino poaching and other wildlife crimes here in the Kruger National Park (KNP),” he said at Skukuza.
Zuma led an anti-rhino poaching awareness day in the KNP and officially launched the joint operations centre in Skukuza.
Accompanied by Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, Mpumalanga acting premier VR Shongwe, Limpopo acting premier Jerry Ndou, SA National Parks (SANParks) CEO Fundisile Mketeni, and community and traditional leaders, Zuma witnessed first-hand the extent of rhino poaching in South Africa and the steps being taken by government to address the problem.
The group watched the capture for translocation of a rhino cow within the KNP to a facility where she will become a foster parent to rhino calves orphaned by poaching.
Rhino poaching was declared a national security threat in 2011, and government increased efforts to curb poaching. Among other things, Cabinet approved the Integrated Strategic Management Approach to Rhino Poaching in 2014.
The need for a strengthened approach, particularly on information co-ordination and strengthening partnerships with neighbouring countries, law enforcement authorities, as well as communities surrounding parks, have been prioritised, the environmental affairs department said in a statement.
The key aspects of this program were managing rhino populations, compulsory interventions (including proactive anti-poaching measures), international and national collaboration and co-operation, and long-term sustainability measures. Significant progress had been made in implementing the interventions.
The Mission Area Joint Operation Centre in the KNP was established by the SA Police Service (SAPS) to co-ordinate operations against rhino poaching by all affected government institutions – the environmental affairs and defence departments, the SAPS, SANParks, and provincial conservation agencies, the department said.
“We are pleased to announce that joint situational awareness through electronic means and live-streaming of information now informs in-time decision making, faster reaction, and more often proactive operations,” Zuma said. “This enables us to employ resources more intelligently and to be one step ahead of the poachers and their bosses.”
The nature of the problem required a collective effort, as government working with the private sector, communities, civil society, and the business sector to ensure the integrated strategic management approach was successful, not only in South Africa, but also within Africa and in the rest of the world, he said.
South Africa had also increased international co-operation to curb rhino poaching through agreements signed with Vietnam, China, Cambodia, and Mozambique.
“These international partnerships are key to ensuring that the fight against poaching and illegal trade is addressed internationally, in light of the international nature of the crime,” Zuma said.
At the joint operations centre, Zuma saw first-hand an extensive collection of counter-poaching equipment that, in line with continued bilateral co-operation and support, would be handed over to Mozambique’s environmental police this month. The donation was made possible by a partnership between SANParks and the Peace Parks Foundation, under the auspices of the Rhino Protection Programme, to help strengthen Mozambique’s environmental law enforcement efforts.
In the coming month, the Peace Parks Foundation would also deliver a small aircraft – the Savannah Light Sport Aircraft – to the Limpopo National Park to help with aerial support.
Addressing more than 5000 community members from Nkomazi and Bushbuckridge at the Skukuza Soccer Stadium, Zuma emphasised the important role communities and individuals had to play in the fight against rhino poaching.
“I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to all communities living close to, or adjacent to, conservation areas to be aware of the threats of rhino poaching. Many of you are also aware of the ability of unscrupulous poaching syndicates to exploit vulnerable people in your communities by offering them large amounts of money to kill and dehorn a rhino or an elephant.
“We all can do something to stop that – by blowing the whistle on all wildlife criminals. As proclaimed on World Rhino Day: We can all stand up and proclaim, no more,” Zuma said.
Rhino, as key members of the “Big Five”, contributed to job creation in rural communities, particularly those adjacent to conservation areas. They contributed to local economic growth through eco-tourism and the local and foreign visitors to the reserves in communities every year.
“Saving the rhino may ultimately save all our communities from poverty, increased crime, and suffering. I am convinced that through our concerted efforts in ensuring co-ordinated implementation of the integrated strategic approach to the management of rhino populations, we will ultimately win the fight against rhino poaching,” he said.
African News Agency
* E-mail your opinion to [email protected] and we will consider it for publication or use our Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.