GIVE EZEMVELO TEETH TO TACKLE RHINO POACHING

CONSERVATION organisations such as Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife have to be well funded to enable them to carry out their mandate, especially fighting the scourge of rhino poaching.

A well co-ordinated response involving all role-players in the conservation sector has to be implemented without delay to reduce the increasing incidents of rhino poaching in our game reserves.

The latest figures have shown an upward trajectory in rhino poaching in KwaZulu-Natal, reinforcing the view that such intervention measures are long overdue. According to the KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Ravi Pillay, since the beginning of the year, 106 rhinos have already been poached. In 2020, 93 rhinos were poached in KZN parks, while 102 were targeted last year.

If these alarming figures are anything to go by, the country should brace itself for its worst rhino poaching figures this year. Even Pillay admits that this year’s figures indicate a syndicate operation and severe brazenness.

Any conservation efforts in our parks would amount to nothing if there is no injection of funds to support any private sector initiatives to combat rhino poaching.

That is why the reduced funding of conservation organisations such as Ezemvelo is a serious concern. Ezemvelo needs more funds to fight rhino poaching, not less. It is also imperative that all state institutions affected by this criminality should join forces to come up with a sustainable solution.

Ezemvelo, the national Department of Environmental Affairs, the SAPS, National Prosecuting Authority and State Security cannot keep working in silos and be expected to be on top of the rhino poaching situation in the country.

The absence of a new board at Ezemvelo after the dissolution of the old one is a matter that should be of priority to the department.

A crisis-ridden Ezemvelo cannot be expected to have anti-poaching efforts that will produce the desired results.