Mazda donation of R100 000 to Honourary Rangers

Jeff Nemeth, president and CEO of Ford Motor Company of southern Africa, handed over a cheque at the annual Sunset Serenade event. "As always, this event provides us with a great opportunity to reflect on the fantastic work done by the Honourary Rangers in the fight against poaching. Now, more than ever, poaching is having devastating consequences on our wildlife population. We hope that our donation will help the Honourary Rangers further their quest to counter poaching and conserve many endangered species, including the increasingly threatened rhino," he said.

The Mazda Wildlife Fund was formed in April 1990, funded jointly by Ford Motor Company of southern Africa and its nationwide network of Mazda dealers. The MWF has contributed R27.5 million over the past 21 years and, to date, the fund has supported over 150 projects.

Long-term commitment

As the fund's commitment to environmental conservation is viewed as long term, it has formed a partnership with the relevant leading NGOs in South Africa through the creation of an advisory board, which reviews applications made to the fund for assistance and recommends specific projects for Mazda Wildlife sponsorship.

The fund currently supports 29 non-government/non-profit organisation-type projects with 30 vehicles, covering every aspect of conservation and environmental education. These are situated throughout South Africa and include structured environmental educational projects, research projects and projects involved in the direct preservation of endangered species and habitats. To date, over 140 projects have received support from the fund.

Poaching syndicates are often well armed, highly skilled and adept in the bush environment. For this reason, rangers need to possess not only greater skills, but also high-quality equipment in order to match the onslaught.