Bid to find solution to rhino poaching

The meeting, attended by Minister of Tourism in Mozambique, Fernando Sumbana Jnr and South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, follows the rise in rhino poaching that has seen the Kruger National Park (KNP) losing 252 rhino in 2011.

During the meeting earlier this week, Molewa stressed that poaching in the Kruger had escalated to such unacceptable levels that South Africa urgently required the full cooperation and support of Mozambique if the killing of rhino was to be significantly reduced.

Recently, Molewa announced various ways she had considered to reduce the attacks through the Mozambique border stretching between the Massingir and the Komatipoort areas.

Some of the means announced included:

• Adding 150 field rangers to increase law enforcement officers in the KNP to 650;
  
• Requesting the South African government to increase military presence in the KNP;
  
• Improving coordinated national efforts to increase intelligence gathering, and;
  
• The possibility of strengthening the border fence between Massingir and Komatipoort.

Sumbana emphasised the commitment of Mozambique to conservation, noting that the Mozambican government has prioritised law enforcement efforts that go beyond the narrow focus of rhino poaching.

"Mozambique is currently pondering legislation that will elevate the offence of wildlife poaching to a criminal offence carrying heavier sentencing rather than the current offence of damage to property," Sumbana said, adding that Mozambique's natural resources are being plundered by organised Mafia.

Further to the proposed legislation, a new elite highly trained National Anti-poaching Unit has been formed and the first recruits will be graduating shortly and deployed in priority poaching areas.

Sumbana further said that the Mozambican government has passed a decree creating a flexible state-owned agency similar to that of SANParks.

"This will assist with management effectiveness and allow greater flexibility in sourcing funding than is currently the case."

The meeting also highlighted the success of collaborating with Mozambique on the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) with reduced rhino poaching incidents and the difficulties of erecting a fence between Massingir and Komatipoort.

South African National Parks CEO, Dr David Mabunda, recently visited the Head of the Transfrontier Conservation Areas Unit in the Ministry of Tourism in Mozambique, Dr Bartolomeu Soto, to discuss the idea of including the 220 000-hectare Greater Lebombo Conservancy to act as an effective buffer for the KNP southern section linking with Mozambique.

The idea has since morphed into a Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) in line with the signed treaty that created the GLTP.

Article 3(2) of the signed treaty envisioned the TFCA in Mozambique to include "the Massingir and Corumana areas, as well as the interlinking regions" thus creating an immediate framework for bilateral cooperation between the two countries for the inclusion of the Greater Lebombo Conservancy.

The two ministers agreed to cooperate bilaterally to ensure that the planned TFCA was realised and concluded speedily.