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    Fight against rhino poaching a priority, says SA government

    The South African government has drawn up and negotiated a number of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with a number of countries and is in negotiations with critical range states, such as Mozambique. A delegation from the Lao People's Democratic Republic was recently hosted by a team of officials from the Department of Environmental Affairs to discuss possible areas of cooperation.

    Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa, and Minister of Tourism in Mozambique Carvalho Muaria agreed during a meeting in June to a follow up technical meeting between South Africa and Mozambican officials who are in enforcement, environment and tourism. The meeting is to be held in preparation for a further more comprehensive ministerial engagement with Mozambique.

    Joint action

    The parties will also be discussing comprehensive measures regarding common areas of action to be taken jointly by the countries, and possibly other parties involved in the Greater Limpopo Trans-frontier Park. These will be aimed at combating poaching and to distracting the illicit trafficking of rhino horn, elephant tusks and other wildlife and related products.
    The meeting is expected culminate in an agreement between the two countries resulting in both states intensifying actions in all affected areas of enforcement in the area of wildlife protection and biodiversity conservation.

    Parallel to this the rhino poaching issue is receiving more intense attention within the Justice Crime Prevention, Defence and Security Council of the Southern African Development Community. This is being facilitated by the South African National Defence Force.

    To date 167 alleged rhino poachers have been arrested in South Africa since the start of 2013. The increase in arrests comes as the total number of rhino poached in South Africa since January 2013 has increased to 587. The Kruger National Park remains hardest hit having lost 362 rhino to alleged poachers so far this year. Among the total number of rhino poached, 60 have been killed for their horns in North West and KwaZulu-Natal respectively, 59 in Limpopo and 39 in Mpumalanga.

    South Africans are urged to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs to the anonymous lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.

    Rhino poaching statistics
    SA2010201120122013
    KNP (SANParks)146252425362
    MNP (SANParks)0632
    GP15913
    LIM52745959
    MP17312839
    NW57217760
    EC41172
    FS3400
    KZN38346660
    WC0620
    NC1000
    333448668587

    Rhino poaching arrests statistics
    South Africa - Arrests2013201220112010
    KNP 66738267
    MNP0000
    Gauteng (GP)3261610
    Mpumalanga (MP)14667316
    Eastern Cape (EC)0027
    Limpopo (LP)36433436
    North West (NW)1132212
    Free State (FS)0600
    KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)3720425
    Western Cape (WC)0002
    Northern Cape (NC)0100
    Total167267232165

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