Rhino poaching decline?

REPORT: NGO FIGURES SUGGEST DECREASE BUT NO OFFICIAL WORD YET Govt has twice postponed briefing on status of fight against poachers.

Alocal NGO, Outraged SA Citizens Against Poaching (Oscap), has revealed a possible further decline in the numbers of rhinos poached in South Africa for 2016.

According to Oscap founder Allison Thompson, her organisations’ statistics stand at 1 105 rhinos killed during 2016, and 115 in 2017.

The release came on the back of the second postponement in a week by the department of environmental affairs (DEA) of its report on the progress of the implementation of the “Integrated Strategic Management Approach of Rhinoceros” or, in layman’s terms, what progress is being made in the fight against rhino poaching.

With rhino poaching having shown a decline in 2015 to 1 175 from the 2014 all-time high of 1 215, it only remains for Environment Minister Edna Molewa to officially inform the country what the status quo is around the practice. “We had to postpone our briefing owing to the fact the slot we had wanted to use on Thursday was a Cabinet briefing slot,” DEA spokesperson Albi Modise said yesterday.

“The Friday slot we thought could be used did not work. We are still identifying a suitable slot which we will communicate soon.” Modise said the DEA aimed to hold the briefing this week.

A fuming Thompson said it had been nine months since Molewa’s last briefing, in May.

“With the amount of crime and corruption being reported by Ipid of Saps and Hawks involvement at OR Tambo International Airport, which is the minister’s choice exit port for their proposed rhino horn export trade, I am sure that a press conference at this time would be a tad uncomfortable for all concerned, not least Minister of State Security David Mahlobo, who is under the spotlight following the recent Al Jazeera documentary,” Thompson said.

It was recently revealed by the Hawks the “nail salon” Mahlobo had been visiting was under investigation for being a brothel.

“When the minister decided to change the regularity of the stats from monthly to quarterly, she stated that they did not have the capacity to do monthly stats.

“But it appears that they sure have capacity when it comes to drafting regulations for opening a domestic trade in rhino horn.

“This shows their priorities seem somewhat skewed,” Thompson added. – amandaw@citizen.co.za