SANParks and SAPS under fire in anti-rhino poaching fight

For instance, lawyers involved in anti-rhino poaching initiatives at the Kruger National Park have submitted a complaint against SANParks to the Department of Environmental Affairs and the Public Protector requesting a thorough probe of the reasons for the increase in poaching despite the presence of the military and anti-poaching technology, Beeld reports. Christopher Bean, who also practises law in California, laid the complaint on behalf of his local law firm. Bean says in his complaint there are 'far too many secrets in the SANParks Board'. His firm was instructed on 5 February to go to Mozambique to seize assets of rhino poachers, but the project was aborted without reasons given. Bean says in his complaint to the Public Protector complaint that it seems corruption is playing a role in poaching. According to Bean, he has the impression that there is a slackness or unwillingness to implement effective anti-poaching measures. Full Beeld report

In another 'secretive' move, SANParks tried to use a gagging order last week to plug the leaks about bonuses awarded to one of its highest-paid employees. A report in the Sunday Times notes that the employee, Bryn Pyne-James, raises money to help in the war against rhino poachers. In an attempt to stop the news getting out, SANParks inadvertently revealed the identity of Pyne-James, who earned nearly R3m for 11 months' work, according to the report. He is paid a basic monthly salary of R95 000. Investigations by the Sunday Times uncovered evidence that he was awarded five 'merit bonuses' between June 2013 and April this year, amounting to R1.4m -- commission on donations. With perks, his total earnings for the period came to R2.8m. SANParks spokesperson Rey Thakhuli, when asked if donor money was used to pay bonuses, said employee remuneration was confidential. 'SANParks confirms that a detailed review of the utilisation of all sponsorship funds and the respective governance of each of these sponsorships, by Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo, is currently under way related to all fundraising activities performed by Mr Pyne- James,' Thakhuli is quoted in the report as saying. Full Sunday Times report

The SA Police Service's role in combating poaching, particularly in its intelligence gathering mechanisms, has also been called into question. More than 3 394 rhino have been killed in SA since 2008, last Tuesday marking the death of the 736th rhino to have been poached this year, Democratic Alliance MP Teri Stander said last week during a parliamentary debate on rhino poaching. A report on the BDlive site states that Stander held up a list of 72 names of suspected poachers that were known to the authorities. 'Intelligence has been identified as a weakness by the department since the start of this crisis six years ago. Why is it that I can have a list of 72 suspected poachers in my hands, but not one of these have been properly investigated let alone convicted? You can even call them on the listed telephone numbers,' she said, according to the report. It notes she said she believed gathering and analysing intelligence on rhino poaching was government's single most important intervention. Similarly, Inkatha Freedom Party MP Judith Nkomo said there was no central database or system which tracks and co-ordinates anti-poaching efforts nationally. 'Our rhino are dying because of ineffective systems -a lack of the required political will, alleged complicity in poaching by security and policing services, lack of information sharing between our enforcement agencies and judicial sanction that is not yet swift or severe enough,' the report quotes her as saying. Full report on the BDlive site

The SAPS has, however, indicated a willingness to address this shortcoming. In addressing Parliament last week, police bosses laid out their plans to amp up the fight against rhino poaching, notes a report on the SA News site. Deputy Minister of Police Maggie Sotyu explained to MPs that an integrated process between various SAPS divisions, known as the Crime Detection Framework, has been set up. The divisions included in the framework are the Hawks, the detective services and the operational response service. She mentioned a dedicated Special Investigation Unit led by the SAPS Detective Services, which only focuses on rhino poaching. This unit, which is located within the SAPS Cross-Border Unit, operates under the operational agreement between the Southern African Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation (SARPPCO) member states. National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega has boosted the capacity of police personnel to combat rhino killings, but, said the Deputy Minister, this effort needed to be reciprocated by close co-operation between communities that are located near rhino reserves or parks or farms in the different provinces. There was also a need for efficient and working bilateral agreements with those countries that border parks, like Mozambique and Zimbabwe, the report quotes her as saying. Full report on the SA News site

In more hopeful news, Phiyega's special task team has made its first arrests. A report in The Citizen quotes police spokesperson Lieutenant General Solomon Makgale as saying: 'Two South Africans employed by a concession in Kruger National Park were arrested Wednesday after being found in possession of two rhino horns.' Makgale said the horns were removed from an adult rhino estimated to be five years old, the report states. Full report in The Citizen

Conservationists, police and volunteers are tracking two poachers over the Magaliesberg after a rhino cow was poached. A report on the News24 site notes that the rhino was rescued a few weeks ago from the liquidated Aloe Ridge Hotel and Nature Reserve at Broederstroom after her mate disappeared. Early yesterday (Monday) morning two shots were heard, according to the report which says three minutes later staff of Glen Afric Lodge arrived at the scene of the poaching. The rhino was already dead, and the horn had been removed. The two poachers had escaped through thick bush. The tracking team has followed the pair of poachers high into the Magaliesberg and remain in pursuit, the report states. Full report on the News24 site

And technology may yet shift the balance. A high-powered high-tech, gunfire-detection system is being piloted in SA's flagship Kruger National Park in order to fight rhino poaching, notes a report in The Guardian. It says 'ShotSpotter', a product of privately-held California company SST Inc, has previously been used in crime-ridden urban US neighbourhoods to alert police to weapons fire. In SA it has already yielded the arrests of an undisclosed number of poachers, earlier this year, according to the report. The matter is before the courts and park officials are reluctant to divulge details, saying it could possibly expose the location of the ShotSpotter array to other poachers, the report states. Full report in The Guardian