Rhino war gets new warriors

AMBASSADORS: MORE THAN 1 300 DEPLOYED IN HOT SPOTS

Progress in arrests, investigations and successful convictions of poachers.

About 1 346 environmental monitors have been deployed in rhino poaching hot spots to assist with protection, Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said yesterday.

Molewa, who was giving an update on progress in the implementation of the integrated strategic management of rhinoceroses, said the monitors would be empowered to become “rhino ambassadors”.

The management of rhinos is centred around combating poaching.

Compulsory interventions include the creation of an intensive protection zone (IPZ), which she said “allows us to allocate limited resources to ensure maximum protection in areas of greatest importance”.

After IPZs had been established in key reserves in KwaZulu-Natal, another has been set up in the Eastern Cape.

Technical guidelines have been developed on the implementation of a restorative justice programme, which is aimed at ensuring that rhino poachers become either rhino ambassadors or perform community service, she said.

Molewa was flanked by State Security Minister Bongani Bongo and joined via video link from Cape Town by Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

Molewa reiterated that “rhino poaching is a national priority crime” which was being tackled by various departments.

She said there had been progress in a number of areas, including arrests, investigations and successful convictions of rhino poachers and smugglers, as well as the stepping up of technological and other interventions within SA’s joint operations.

“We have initiated a patrol optimisation programme in our parks. This is the intelligence-driven allocation of patrol resources into highrisk poaching areas.”

The patrol optimisation programme, which began in the Balule Game Reserve with an all-female Black Mamba antipoaching unit in 2016, has since been successfully expanded into six other reserves.

Some of the success was as a result of the use of game-changing technological interventions, which are key in the fight against poaching, Molewa said.

“The new technology system that we are using now is at the cutting edge of integrating real-time technology, intelligence, situational awareness and analysis, and is operational in the Kruger National Park.

“This tool assists rangers, protected areas managers, investigators and law enforcement agencies and government organisations to combat wildlife crime more effectively. It has been proven to be an extremely effective tool. We are rolling it out to the rest of the country.” In the reporting period, 502 alleged rhino poachers and 16 alleged traffickers were arrested nationally, bringing the total to 518. This represents a decrease from 2016, when a total of 680 poachers and traffickers were arrested.

At the Kruger National Park, the number of arrests of alleged poachers stood at 446 in 2017 – 189 arrested inside the park, and 257 adjacent to it.

This represented an increase compared with 2016, when 417 were arrested.

Between April and December 2017, the Hawks arrested 16 level three to four (courier/local buyers and exporters) wildlife traffickers of South-East Asian, South African, Mozambican, Zimbabwean and Kenyan origin – and confiscated 168.46kg of rhino horn.

“Given the complexities of these syndicates, we regard this figure as a significant achievement,” Molewa said. – ANA