Reports that up to nine elephants in Zimbabwe were killed and used as meat for Zimbabwe’s recent independence celebrations should serve as a wake-up call to Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk, says the South African official opposition Democratic Alliance.
DA MP Gareth Morgan said that ”despite repeated calls” for the minister to speak up about the state of conservation in Zimbabwe, ”particularly those areas that are due to be integrated with the Kruger National Park to form the Great Limpopo National Park, he has remained deathly silent and his own officials have said there is nothing to worry about”.
Morgan said the killing of these elephants, ”four of which are reported to have been killed by Zimbabwean National Parks Board scouts, is not an isolated incident. Over the last five years, Zimbabwe’s national parks have been decimated by poaching.”
He said in Gonarezhou National Park, due to form part of the transfrontier park, ”there are reports that there are now more cattle in the park than wild animals, due to the destruction of fences”.
”Private conservancies around Gonarezhou are reporting that Zanu-PF strongmen are frequently demanding that land owners allow Zanu-PF supporters to hunt animals for food. Further, large portions of these conservancies have been invaded by human settlers.
”On March 4 2005, I asked acting environmental affairs director general, Pam Yako, whether her department had any concerns about the future of our cross- border conservation initiatives with Zimbabwe.
”She replied curtly that she personally did not have any reservation about the ability of Zimbabwean officials to manage conservation.
”In light of the killing of these elephants, she may wish to reconsider her statement. I have already submitted a question to the minister asking whether he agreed with the acting DG’s opinion.
”Van Schalkwyk must ask himself whether he really wants to do business with Zimbabwe at this time. The integration of Zimbabwean conservation areas into the Kruger park will place South African conservation at risk.”
Morgan said: ”Unfortunately, the minister will not even speak about the issue. The minister has joined his comrades in becoming a Zimbabwe denialist. His silent diplomacy with Zimbabwean officials, if there is any diplomacy at all, is not dissimilar to the silent diplomacy of the president [Thabo Mbeki].
”As minister of environmental affairs, Van Schalkwyk is allowing himself to be treated as a junior minister. By doing so, he does an injustice to our environment.” — I-Net Bridge