The fight against rhino poaching continues, with more and more stakeholders joining forces in an attempt to involve communities in this plight.
With the Kruger National Park (KNP) being the hardest hit by poaching, having lost more than 200 rhino since January, Absa came up with an initiative aimed at educating the park’s neighbouring communities.
The bank sponsored learners of Mkhuhlu Circuit and organised training for them to participate in a speech contest held on Friday at Skukuza. With the objective of raising a warning to poachers and people contemplating making quick bucks by participating in this unlawful act, the contest was the brainchild of the bank’s Mkhuhlu branch manager, Lerato Mokoena.
Mokoena said by equipping the young learners, she believed poaching would be a thing of the past when they become adults, because they would spread the message and with their knowledge, they would not participate in this act that affects the country’s economy in a negative way.
“We are concerned about the statistics of rhino that are killed every year, hence we came up with this attempt. Children have a way of absorbing knowledge and applying it in everyday life and in preparation for the contest, they were loaded with relevant information that will help them realise the negative impact poaching has on the economy,” she said.
During the event, participants pleaded with criminals to consider alternative ways of making money instead of poaching, saying that it had turned many children into orphans.
“This is actually poaching the future of the next generation since it has a number of implications that are overlooked by greedy people,” said one of the learners, Nhlayiso Nyalungu.
Motivating the pupils, Idols runner-up, Brenden Ledwaba, said they should never allow any challenge to silence them and kill their dreams. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, as long as you have that dream, and strive for it to become a reality.”
Emphasising the economic consequences of rhino poaching, Absa’s regional manager, Aurthur Mbambalala highlighted the fact that the tourism industry was threatened by the act.
“If poaching continues at this pace, the rhino will be extinct in a few years’ time and the big five that attracts many international tourists will no longer be complete,” Mbambalala stated.
The winners of the contest won prizes courtesy of Harry Green music, and Mthunzi and Gannet lodges.
