05 December 2013 - The
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Water
and Environmental Affairs met this week
to get a better understanding of the current
situation relating to the illegal killing
and conservation of rhinoceros in South
Africa and to debate and seek possible solutions
to the rhino poaching challenges in South
Africa.
Rhino poaching across
South Africa and Africa has risen sharply
in the past few years and has threatened
to reverse the hard-won population increases
achieved by conservation authorities during
the 20th Century. In order to address this
problem, Government and various other role-players
have initiated various interventions to
address the surge in rhino poaching. Following
several engagements over the past two years
between the Portfolio Committee and relevant
stakeholders, the Portfolio Committee conducted
a follow-up workshop on Rhino Poaching in
Skukuza, Kruger National Park, from 2 -
4 December 2013, with a view to giving impetus
to the efforts and commitment towards minimising
the scourge of Rhino Poaching.
The workshop, held in
Skukuza, comes as the number of rhinos poached
for their horn in South Africa, since January
2013 increased to 919.
So far this year, 560
rhinos have been poached in the Kruger National
Park. And the provincial figures stand at
a total of 359. In Limpopo alone, 105 rhinos
have been poached, 82 in North West, 79
in KwaZulu-Natal and 77 in Mpumalanga. The
total number of suspected poachers arrested
has increased to 316.
The workshop, attended
by around 80 delegates, included 13 members
of the Portfolio Committee, the Department
of Environmental Affairs, provincial departments,
SANParks, private rhino owners and numerous
stakeholders and NGOs. The meeting was opened
by Water and Environmental Affairs Minister,
Mrs Edna Molewa, on Monday, 2 December 2013
who emphasised the need for cooperation
by various stakeholders and indicated the
government’s plan moving forward. The Minister
reiterated that continuing to do more of
the same is not working. The solution to
rhino poaching is complex and needs innovative
solutions.
Members of the Portfolio
Committee, under the chairmanship of Advocate
Johnny de Lange, were briefed on all issues
related to rhino conservation; management;
safety and security; trends, structure,
nature of black markets in wildlife products;consumer
behaviour, and rhino economics. Discussions
also focussed on possible solutions to destroy
or at least seriously debilitate the existence
of a lucrative, rapidly growing, underground
“black market” illegally trading in rhino
horn. Some of the proposed solutions included
among others:
Increased involvement
of communities, including community ownership
of rhino and benefit-sharing by communities;
Emphasis on cross-border collaboration,
including cross-border enforcement operations
to disrupt local criminal networks;
Enhancing actionable intelligence to enable
South Africa to disrupt transnational criminal
networks involved in the illegal trade in
rhino horn;
Implementation of mechanism to increase
the conviction rate in rhino-related cases;
Converting the present ranger corps into
the best anti-poaching force in Africa;
Implementation of mechanisms to improve
communication and cooperation between private
landowners, security forces and the environmental
sector;
The continued use of the DNA project, RhoDIS,
to enhance enforcement, prosecution and
the creation of a national rhino DNA database;
Incentivise the strictly limited and regulated
trade and possession of rhino as a live
commodity
Strategic, targeted culturally sensitive
demand reduction initiatives;
Introducing a strictly limited and regulated
trade mechanism for rhino horn through which
only legal horn from legitimate stockpiles,
and not harvested horns, are sourced.
Advocate de Lange, Chairperson of the Portfolio
Committee, emphasized that the Committee
expects that all interventions should be
based on and support protection, conservation
and sustainable use, which are the cornerstones
of the environmental rights afforded to
the people of South Africa in the Bill of
Rights of the Constitution. The principle
of sustainable use as an integral part of
conservation is not only enshrined in the
Constitution and the country’s environmental
legislation.
Section 24 of the Constitution
provides everyone with the right to and
environment that secures ecologically sustainable
development and use of natural resources
while promoting justifiable economic and
social development.
The discussions relating
to a strictly limited and regulated trade
in rhino horn included the need to:
Ensure that all opportunities,
implications and risks are assessed;
Urgently finalise the verification of all
rhino horn stockpiles, especially privately
owned stockpiles;
Finalise the process to appoint a Panel
of Experts to assist the Inter-Ministerial
Committee appointed by Cabinet to deliberate
on the matters relating to a possible trade
in rhino horn;
Engage rhino range States and the region
on these matters, including range expansion;
and sharing of best practices and information;
and
Ensure that all other measures and initiatives
continue to be implemented and strengthened.
It was emphasised that all parties present
shared a common concern and interest, and
that more similar engagements need to be
held as the government prepares to table
its proposal regarding the trade in rhino
horn to CITES CoP17 in 2016.
The Parliamentary Committee
needs to continue working closely with all
government and civil society stakeholders
in ensuring that decisions regarding the
management and conservation of South Africa’s
rhino are not detrimental to their future.
**South Africans and
members of the international community are
encouraged to report information regarding
rhino poaching and related tip-offs to the
anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600
10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.
