Media Release: More Arrests In The Mapungubwe Poaching Case

Date: 28th August 2014

Makhado - one more suspect in the case of a rhino poaching incident that took place in Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site in July, has been arrested. This follows the arrest of four other suspects earlier this month.

The suspect was observed whilst he was attending the bail hearing of the four accused which took place on 26 August and was immediately arrested. The said bail hearing has been further remanded to the 26 September 2014 where he will appear together with the other four suspects.

“We are happy with the progress that is being made in this regard, our Environmental Crime Investigators team together with the South African Police Services have worked very hard in bringing these perpetrators to book” said SANParks Acting head of communications, Reynold Thakhuli.

Thakhuli further reminded the public to work with SAPS and SANParks in reporting the perpetrators should they know them in the communities.

Issued by:
South African National Parks (SANParks) Northern Region Communications
Tel: 012 426 5203

Media enquiries:
Reynold Thakhuli
Acting Head of Communications, SANParks
Tel: 012 426 5203; Cell: 073 373 4999
Email: rey.thakhuli@sanparks.org

Divhani Maremba
Regional Communications Manager (Northern Region)
Tel: 012 426 5304; Cell: 074 588 5789
Email: divhani.maremba@sanparks.org

SANParks Board Media Release

SANParks notes that in a number of media and social media articles, it is incorrectly stated that SANParks has sold 260 rhinos to private land owners in the Northern Cape.

This media reporting of sales of rhinos apparently refers to transactions which were based on the unauthorised commitment by a member of the SANParks Executive which exceeded the Board’s delegated authority. This member of the SANParks Executive has subsequently been suspended, pending disciplinary action, and an independent forensic audit has been commissioned into this matter. The Board of SANParks has not, prior to, or during, any subsequent time, approved any decision to sell any number of rhino. The SANParks Board has been constantly engaging with experts and stakeholders on the issue of combatting rhino poaching since the current poaching crisis emerged, as well as developing and implementing responses. In this context, the Board held a strategic workshop during July 2014 during which the revised rhino management strategy was formulated. Following the recent announcement of a cabinet-approved policy guidance by the Minister of Environmental Affairs, the Board is now in a position to finalise its strategy to address the rhino poaching crisis. “The Board has now made a decision to, inter alia,move some rhinos out of high risk areas or areas with too high densities of rhinos. These movements may include movements within parks, between parks, to provincial reserves, community areas or private areas”, said Kuseni Dlamini, Chairman of SANParks. “Rhino management implementation plans, which will include details of numbers and possible destinations, still need to be approved by the Board and the Minister of Environmental Affairs and will be undertaken with due sensitivity and in compliance with the relevant governance frameworks”, added Dlamini.

Issued by:
SANParks Board

Queries:
DR GC Dry Chairperson HR&REMCO, tel: 082 441 4426

On safari With Dean From 18 August 2014

18 August 2014

We picked up guests from the Radison Blu Gautrain and the shoestring backpackers. We took a drive through to Nelspruit, were we changed over vehicles and made our way to Nkambeni Safari Lodge. Guests checked in, enjoyed lunch and then had some free time before leaving at 16h30 on a sunset drive. Guests enjoyed their sunset drive, getting back at 19h30 and then enjoying dinner before retiring for a good nights rest.

19 August 2014

It was up early this morning, after guests enjoyed breakfast, we left camp at 06h30, going up the Numbi tar. It was not long before we got a call about some cheetah in the area, we made our way there and enjoyed a quality sighting, before moving on. We made our way down the Napi Road, getting good sightings of buffalo, elephant, kudu, impala and warthog. We made our way down the H3 to quagga pan, before returning to the camp as the first high temperatures of the season were being experienced.

Guests enjoyed lunch at Nkambeni Safari Lodge, and a bit of a rest. We left camp again at 15h30 and made our way down the Numbi road, before getting stopped by a visitor who told us of a hippo death on circle road, we decided to go there and take a look. It was not long before we found the hippo lying behind Pretoriuskop camp. There were a number of vultures around the hippo, so it was quite apparent that it was a hippo death and not a kill. We watched for a while, before moving on and getting other sightings of elephant and buffalo. We returned to camp, arriving back at 17h55. Guests enjoyed dinner, before retiring for the night.

20 August 2014

Today it was up early as two guests were departing on a morning walk, the other two guests, were taken out on a game drive, getting good sightings of elephant and another quick sighting of cheetah walking down the firebreak close to the camp of  pretoriuskop. As it was close to 09h00, we made our way back to the Nkambeni Safari Camp to pick up the other two guests before heading out to see what we could find. We took a drive down the Albasini Road, onto the Doispane Road to Nyamundwa dam, getting sightings of elephant, impala, kudu, hippo's and some good birds such as African Fish Eagle busy fishing at the dam.

The temperatures were rising rapidly, so we turned around and made our way to the Shabeni Kopies, before returning to camp. Tempretures rose to about thirty-five degrees during the day, so we left the camp at 15h30, however little was seen due to the high heat that was being experienced. We still managed to see elephant, impala, buffalo and brown spotted hyena.

We returned to the camp at about 18h20, due to us having a good sighting of a large buffalo heard on the camp road. Everyone had a good dinner, before retiring to bed.

21 August 2014

It was up early again, after packing the safari vehicle, and enjoying breakfast, it was out back on the road to see what we could find. We drove to the dead hippo, to see if any lions had arrived on the carcass, however only birds were encountered. We also got more sightings of elephant and buffalo, before making our way to the gate for our trip through to Nelspruit, before changing over to a Toyota Quantum for the trip back to Johannesburg.

Guests enjoyed the safari, but were a bit sorry for not having seen any lion or leopard, unfortunately sometimes this happens and predators cannot be guaranteed, especially in the summer months.

More coming soon!

Poachers Update

On Saturday, 23rd August 2014, rangers in the Kingfisherspruit section of the Kruger National Park made contact with a group of two suspected rhino poachers.

During the incident, one suspect was fatally wounded and the remaining suspect managed to escape arrest and further investigations are underway. 

A .458 hunting rifle, silencer, ammunition and poaching equipment were recovered during the operation.

Issued by:
South African National Parks