CAPE TOWN – An official committee of inquiry has been established by the department of environmental affairs (DEA) to investigate the feasibility of trade in rhino horn.
Minister Ms Edna Molewa announced and introduced the members of the committee at a media conference in the Mother City on Tuesday.
The 21-member group comprises a cross-section of stakeholders from both the public and private sector, law-enforcement agencies, SANParks, the scientific community, immigration service, revenue service, conservation industry, private wildlife owners, community- and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and traditional leadership.
The chairman is Ms Nana Magomola, with members:
• Mr Lourence Mogakane, chairman: National Committee of People & Parks Programme
• Mr Hosi Ntsanwisi, representative of the National House of Traditional Leaders
• Ms Yolan Friedmann, chief executive officer: Endangered Wildlife Trust
• Dr Jo Shaw, rhino coordinator (WWF South Africa)
• Mr P Gastrow, The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime
• Dr M Knight, Rhino Management Group
• Mr Pelham Jones, Private Rhino Owners Association
• Mr K Lockwood, economist
• Mr M’t Sas-Rolfes, environmental-resource economist
• Prof J Donaldson, chair of Scientific Authority
• Lt Gen Elias Mawela, SAPS
• Adv J de Lange, legal advisor
• Adv Pieter du Rand, Department of Justice and Correctional Services
• Dr Lyle Pienaar, State Security Agency
• Ms Nthabiseng Malefane, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco)
• Ms Mandisa Motha-Ngumla, South African Revenue Services
• Dr Sam Ferreira, South African National Parks (SANParks)
• Dr David Mabunda, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
• Mr Johan Eksteen, Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency
• Mr Riaan de Jager, Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism
• Dr Wendy Annecke of SANParks.
The committee will submit a final report before the end of 2015. It is part of the government’s integrated strategic management of rhinoceros.
The terms of reference for the group is to investigate, evaluate, report on and make recommendations relating to a diverse set of key areas.
This will include focusing on government initiatives to address illegal killing of these animals and illegal trade in rhino horn, enhancing actionable intelligence to enable South Africa to disrupt transnational criminal networks involved in illegal trading, various forms of law enforcement and if the committee agrees that trade is an option to investigate and propose suitable models of trading.
These potential models might include, that is to say, once-off sale of stockpiles, government-to-government trade, a more open or regulated trade and possible trading partners and financial mechanisms.
The committee should also investigate the socio-economic impact and benefits to communities, farmers, conservation authorities and rhino and elephant conservation income and revenue benefits for the government.
Last but not least is the handling of criticism or concern relating to trade and the means to address these.
It is of grave concern to the government and the country as a whole that poaching has shown a huge increase over the past 10 years – at least 5000% increase!.
Molewa said, “Despite South Africa’s efforts and a rise in the number of arrests and prosecutions for rhino-poaching-related crimes – poaching is on the rise.”
Actions taken by the department and SANParks prevented poaching incidents from being considerably higher, she said and added, “The strategic translocation of rhino, increased collaboration between law-enforcement agencies, the disruption of criminal syndicates, tightening of ports of entry and exit and provision of economic alternatives for communities vulnerable to recruitment by poachers made a huge difference.”
The final decision reached by the committee on legalising trade in rhino horn or not, will be presented at the 17th Conference of Parties (CoP17) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in March 2016. This conference will take place in Cape Town.
Outraged South African Citizens against Poaching (Oscap) has accused the government that most of the people on the committee are pro-trade and that those opposed to it have been excluded.
The CEO of Youth for African Wildlife, Mr Dex Kotze, also shares Oscap’s sentiment, saying that it seemed as if the committee was made up of members of this faction. “I don’t believe that this committee was elected free and fair! Most of members are known to be pro-trade. I am oppose to the legal trading of rhino horn, and although I have registered as a stakeholder, we haven’t received any notification whether we should register again or not. Will my voice and opposition still be heard? I wonder?’ he asked.
The president of the Environmental Investigation Agency,
Mr Allan Thornton, replied to the Lowvelder’s question about trading that they were opposed to trading and that he had engaged with the South African Government on this issue before. “On March 14, 2013 minister Molewa revealed her support at the meeting of the member nations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Bangkok, Thailand, for a legal international rhino-horn trade.
“CITES has long banned such a trade. South Africa is stimulating an ever-increasing and unsustainable demand for rhino horn in Vietnam, China and other countries that is fuelling the rhino poaching epidemic. South Africa’s policy signal to the global marketplace that rhino horn is a smart investment commodity is unleashing a tsunami of destruction on SA’s rhino.”
Ms Terri Stander, DA shadow minister of environmental affairs, says the party and other lobby groups demanded fairness and transparency and pressured the minister into extending the secret eight-member cabal to a transparent 21-member committee. She says, “The DA still believes that focus on legalising trade is a red herring that continues to polarise the country and hampers efforts to curb rhino poaching.”
Stander says the DA will continue to pressure on the DEA to ensure that the work of the committee of inquiry is carried out in a transparent and comprehensive manner. Molewa’s office has not yet responded to this newspaper’s request for reaction to the opinion of the anti-trade lobby.
