The issuing of hunting permits for big protected species will no longer be issued in regions but will be centralised to a Provincial committee that will be mandated to issue all environmental related permits, North West MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism, Motlalepula Rosho announced in Mahikeng on Tuesday.
MEC Rosho announced that two officials who were involved in the capture of nine elephants at Sandhurst safari Lodge in Tosca on 12 March 2013 and the translocation of four to the Eastern Cape, the capture of four and destruction of two have been placed on precautionary suspension.
An independent investigation that was commissioned by Rosho had recommended that officials who were involved should be charged for violating norms and standards as outlined in the National Environmental Management Act when they allowed hunting of four adult elephants that had calves. Two of the elephants were culled during the process.
MEC Rosho’s announced the withdrawal of the permit issued for exporting the elephants to the Eastern Cape. In terms of the position adopted by Rosho’s department, the calves which were translocated have to be returned as arrangements have been made for them to be placed with adoptive parents in Limpopo.
Over and above the independent investigation, the misconduct unit in the Office of the Premier is also investigating broadly permitting within the department.
The Department had commissioned an independent investigation following the issuing of hunting and translocation/export permits to Mrs. Fletcher, who is also referred to as Mrs. Van der Merwe; the capture of nine elephants on 13 March 2012 and the translocation of four to the Eastern Cape; the capture of four and destruction of two of some of them by officials of the department.
In addition to these four key areas, the investigation also included the activities committed or conducted by some officials of the department, their conduct as well as that of the Fletchers.
Over and above this investigation, the department also referred the matter to Office of the Premier’s Misconduct Unit to look broadly into the issues of permitting within the department.
Further investigations are to include a full investigation into the Fletcher’s conduct for the pre-and-post permit-issuing activities in Sandhurst in Tosca including the disappearance of the missing elephant.
Measures instituted by the department to avert a repeat include proactive biodiversity monitoring by regional offices.
Rosho said that the Head of Department will be issuing a directive to all the Regional Offices instructing them to desist from executing official decisions or functions on the strength of informal, verbal or telephonic conversations or instruction which may have legal, regulatory, reputational or financial implications to the department but in writing and failure to do so would result in disciplinary action.
“The department will be intensifying efforts to involve communities in the fight against rhino poaching through its People and Parks Programme. We call on members of the public with information that might assist with ongoing investigations into the scourge of rhino poaching that is targeting our heritage to come forward,” MEC Rosho underscored.
Sixteen rhinos were poached in the past two weeks brining to 42 rhinos that were poached since the beginning of this year.
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