PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS VISITS KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT

AL AFFAIRS VISITS KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

 by BRIAN KAJENGO

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs on Friday 26 September 2014 concluded a three day fact finding visit to the Kruger National Park (KNP).

During this visit, hosted by South African National Parks, the Committee inter alia visited the scene of a recently poached rhino in the south of the Park, and was also able to interact with members of the ranger corps who are in the forefront of the fight against rhino poaching.

According to Mr Jackson Mthembu, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee “This visit has given us a first-hand experience of the sterling work that is being done by SANParks, in conjunction with the SANDF, the SAPS and other partners in holding the line in the fight against rhino poaching.

“The rhino is not only a part of our natural and cultural heritage, but is also a key component of the Big 5 tourism product which underpins the tourism economy in the lowveld areas of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The Kruger National Park plays an important role in supporting sustainable livelihoods of thousands of people in the vicinity of the Park, and we need to protect and expand this component now and into the future”

Part of the field trip undertaken by the Committee was to the Intensive Protection Zone of the Kruger National Park, utilising for the first time a new helicopter purchased from a grant provided by the Howard Buffet Foundation.

The helicopter puts certain advanced navigation systems at SANParks disposal for the first time enhancing operational capability in this regard.

The Chairperson of the Board of SANParks, Mr Kuseni Dlamini, welcomed the visit saying: “We are greatly encouraged by this visit of the Portfolio Committee, and believe that our interactions with the Committee will deepen the understanding of the Committee of the challenges that we face in the battle against rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park. We appreciate the on-going support we are receiving from the Portfolio Committee and recognise that interactions such as these play a major role in boosting the morale of the men and women who are engaged in the fight against rhino poaching on a daily basis.”

Captions:

Photos 0618 & 0621: Clockwise - Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee: Environmental Affairs, Mr Jackson Mthembu, and Deputy Director General: Biodiversity Management-Environmental Affairs, Mr Fundisile Mketeni and KNP Managing Executive, Mr Danie Pienaar