World celebrates life of rhino warrior

On Tuesday, July 26, three men entered the home of Timbavati Game Reserve’s head ranger, Anton Mzimba in Bushbuckridge and shot him and his wife multiple times. His wife survived and is fighting for her life but Anton succumbed to his injuries. When the news of Anton’s death broke people all over the world paid tribute to Anton’s passion for his work. Two funds, The Anton Mzimba Family Support Fund and The Anton Mzimba Eduction Trust together with Global Conservation Corps, Southern African Wildlife College, and Elephants Alive have been started to carry out his legacy of inspiring young people to become wildlife rangers just like him.

“We as a reserve are gutted by the loss of Anton, we are very cognizant and aware of the need for the family’s own privacy in their time of grief. As a reserve, we are cooperating with the authorities in order to advance any investigations into what happened and to the apprehension of the perpetrators. Our focus now is to ensure the safety and support of his family. We are extremely grateful for all the love and support received from our surrounding communities during this difficult time,” said Krystle Woodward,

Timbavati’s chief operations officer Anton dedicated 25 years of his life to the Timbavati. “Those who had the pleasure of meeting him, spending time with him, and working with him, will know how he dedicated his life to what he believed in, fighting for a species which has no voice of its own, and uplifting and inspiring the people who he knew needed his support. There has been no greater man,” said Woodward. In June 1997, as a young man, Anton began his conservation career as an erosion fieldwork team member. Drawn and inspired by the reserve’s beauty and wildlife, Anton showed his passion and willingness to do more. His early leadership skills shined through
and were recognised by the reserve management.

In April 1998, Anton passed his basic field ranger training and started his journey as one of the youngest field rangers within the unit. In 2003, Anton was promoted to the full corporal instructor, overseeing the training programme which aimed to keep his ranger team fit physically and mentally. During this time, he created the field ranger teams’ moral and work ethic, promoting and motivating his team to continue their efforts against wildlife crime. “The year 2008 saw Anton lifted into the leader he was meant to be, head of ranger services for the Timbavati Private Nature
Reserve.

“The impact that this one man has had, not only within the wildlife space, but also touching the lives of, and inspiring young children, has been simply enormous. He worked tirelessly in motivating the youth to become future rangers, creating a vision of hope for young people to grow up respecting and protecting wildlife as he did,” she said. Anton’s enduring belief, something he shared with everyone he met, was that a field ranger should be seen as a hero, someone to aspire to become. Anton lived his beliefs, never wavered from his convictions, and, above all, he remained a brave and honest man.

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“It may be a dark time now, but we will ensure that Anton’s legacy lives on in all of us whose lives he touched. We will continue to cultivate the unyielding passion he showed to reconnect the young of the surrounding communities to wildlife to ensure that they too become guardians of their heritage. Today is a heartbreaking reminder of the huge challenges our wildlife protectors face and just how incredibly important it is to continue to support them in every way we can.

“We share our condolences to all those who have had the pleasure of walking alongside Anton. Those who have followed his journey, his footsteps, his passions. We thank Anton for giving his life and love to the wildlife and people of the Timbavati. He will be profoundly missed but never forgotten. We ask that people remain cognizant of the family’s privacy during this time of loss and mourning. We also remind the public and media that, while the Timbavati is co-operating with the authorities in the investigations, the reserve needs to remain confidential about the details of these at this stage,” she concluded.

For more on the funds established, visit Timbavati’s Facebook page and follow the links posted.

Police hunt on for killers

From police reports, there is still very little information available on Anton Mbiza’s death. According to them, on the said day, Tuesday, July 26, three armed men entered the house of the couple in Bushbuckridge at around 19:00 asking for water as their vehicle had a problem. “As the child was busy assisting them, it is said that the men abruptly approached the man of the house (who was busy in his car) and allegedly shot him several times.

“It is further alleged that his wife screamed after witnessing what has happened upon which she too was shot by the suspects. The three suspects are said to have then fled the scene in a white VW Polo without taking anything in the house. The two victims were taken to a nearby hospital where upon arrival, the man, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries however his wife was admitted and is receiving medical attention.

“The matter was then reported to the police at Mhala where a case of murder was opened with an additional charge of attempted murder,” the police said in a statement. “The motive for the killing is unknown at this stage and it will form part of the investigation by the team that has been set up to probe this incident,” said provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lt Gen Semakaleng Daphney Manamela. “We are adamant that it is just a matter of time before we arrest the perpetrators and that our community will come on board to support us in our endeavour to fight crime.

Anyone with information that can assist in apprehending the suspects, is asked to call Dt Sgt Collen Nyalungu on 076 936 7222 or the crime stop number on 08600 10111. Alternatively, members of the public can send information via MySAPS App. All received information will be treated as confidential and callers may opt to remain anonymous.