rhino summit key actions emanating from discussions on 22 may 2013

RHINO SUMMIT
KEY ACTIONS EMANATING FROM DISCUSSIONS ON 22 MAY 2013
PURPOSE
The Rhino Summit is a platform for consultation with communities that will investigate solutions to the <strong>rhino</strong> poaching problem in KZN, as a province as well
as reflecting on the plight of <strong>rhino</strong> poaching in South Africa as a whole. The <strong>key</strong> stakeholders invited have been identified as participants that can add value
in establishing common goals that can counteract the problem at hand, as this engagement is trusted to lead all concerned in the right direction with
respect to combating <strong>rhino</strong> poaching. Following the resolutions of the previous days sessions, the aim of the Rhino Summit is thus to develop a plan of
practical <strong>actions</strong> and interventions, that can be implemented to reduce and eventually alleviate the problem.
STATISTICS
There is an evident increase in <strong>rhino</strong> poaching in the year 2013 with figures having doubled in the current year, in comparison to the previous year.
668 <strong>rhino</strong>s were killed last year of which KZN contributed to 66 <strong>rhino</strong>’s killed. In May 2012, by this time 123 <strong>rhino</strong>s had been killed in South Africa. As at
May 2013, the status of <strong>rhino</strong> fatality in South Africa is sitting at 323 <strong>rhino</strong>s. At this escalating death rate, it appears that 2013 will be much worse.
In the current year, <strong>from</strong> the 323 <strong>rhino</strong>’s killed, KZN has contributed to 30 <strong>rhino</strong>s killed including the 11 found on Monday.
Kruger National Park alone had 229 <strong>rhino</strong>’s killed this year. This has a negative effect on KZN because the <strong>rhino</strong>’s were sourced <strong>from</strong> KZN in 1964 to be
translocated to the Kruger National Park.
Currently, we lose one <strong>rhino</strong> every 11 hours.
OPPORTUNITY
The approach to combating <strong>rhino</strong> poaching is in the identification of Communities as the first line of Defence in the fight against <strong>rhino</strong> poaching. The war
on poaching will not get too far without community and traditional leadership involvement. The country needs a philosophy with tangible benefits and
needs of the community, the objective of which should be prevention and combating of illegal poaching; this approach should contribute to poverty
alleviation for the community. At the end of the day, the loss of <strong>rhino</strong> is not for conservation officials but for all South Africans.

WEAKNESSES:
It was questioned as to why current strategies were failing. A survey conducted by one of the conservation agencies highlighted that community members
knew about poaching and the people involved in these crimes. The survey further revealed that people were not educated sufficiently to know the link
between humans and animals; it was observed that money and greed was a <strong>key</strong> driving force for their involvement in the crime of poaching, the bottom
line being poverty. Additional contributors to the failure of <strong>rhino</strong> poaching strategies in KZN include the following:
Contributing to lack of ownership, communities are looking at reserves as for other people and not for them.
Community involvement is currently poor.
Main problem is poverty around the reserves. Even our own field rangers end up collaborating with poachers - collusion.
People that are involved in poaching come <strong>from</strong> the community. The community is aware of who the poachers are.
There is a loss of neighbourly networks. The culture of society has changed and Ubuntu is finished.
Sophisticated poachers have entered the composition of poachers. Their technology is advanced.
Sensitising the community in terms of awareness about conservation issues and educating them sits at a low level. People are easily mis-led into
believing lies and myths in return for financial rewards that are not worth the price of a <strong>rhino</strong>.
Education imperative; people do not know the basics such as what a <strong>rhino</strong> looks like and the difference in <strong>rhino</strong> features.
Poor relationship between the community and reserve management due to factors such as problem animals. This makes reporting any suspicions, hard
for the community.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The solutions recommended yesterday are community based and require support <strong>from</strong> the government:
No. Area Community Based Solutions Government
1. Ownership The community needs to acknowledge its resources and assume
ownership of natural resources of its heritage. The focus is on
protecting its own property and this new culture needs to be
cultivated in this regard.
Co-management needs to happen. The requirements of comanagement
agreement need to be fulfilled (i.e. full access to
information; non-discriminatory social environment; confidence in
sharing of agreements; and sharing of resources).

2. Intelligence The community must serve as a new breed of rangers in being the
first line of defence in <strong>rhino</strong> poaching as a strategy. Community is to
provide extra help in the form of being the main eyes and ears for the
strategies to be effective. This leads to the creation of effective
leaders <strong>from</strong> community and high community involvement.
Impimpi’s need to be reinforced and can be used to source
information timeously e.g. information about a people that are in the
community but do not belong to the community. Actions can be put
in place to tackle the intruder.
Community relationship with Ambassadors should be heightened and
strengthened.
Lessons <strong>from</strong> the past must be learnt
3. Awareness
and
Education
4. Community
Development
Amakhosi need to be leaders in teaching the communities.
Responsible hunting for livelihood and not profit making should be
promoted.
Communities must cascade the knowledge on <strong>rhino</strong>’s conservation
management to their children.
Communities are to create ongoing awareness during community
events such as Amakhosi’s hosting Imbizo’s; awareness and education
should take place at community gatherings; the rate of meetings
should increase with <strong>rhino</strong> poaching on the agenda.
Strengthening of Local Structures, as there is a need to start
introducing the issues of <strong>rhino</strong> poaching and illegal harvesting.
The community must know the value of a live <strong>rhino</strong> (R1,6 million).
Scientific training is required instead of management training.
In Co-management agreements, the community should be a
beneficiary <strong>from</strong> community conservation.
An increase in tourism must mean benefit for the communities.
Formal structures in place to off-take animals must be understood
and used by the community.
Intelligence gatherers can be analysed and used in
future strategies.
Community informers need to have confidential
relations with conservation agencies or the police.
Government should organise access for the
community into the reserves.
Conservation Agencies must contribute to the
awareness and education of communities especially
the importance of saving the <strong>rhino</strong>’s.
Training and Development programme is required to
develop conservation related skills for the
community such as in the form of bursaries.
In turn, the Leadership also need awareness <strong>from</strong> the
community: People championing anti-<strong>rhino</strong>
campaigns do not understand needs of the
community and need to be educated on this.
Economic development projects should be
implemented to meet the needs of the community
which is said to be poor e.g. dealing with the crisis of
unemployment through increased job creation with
increased benefits.
Tourism benefits <strong>from</strong> the Reserve should have a
positive implication for the community.
Contribute to livelihoods and make it evident e.g.
Youth should be provided with uniform and
stationery.
Contribute to dealing with community poverty and
basic needs such as water and electricity.

5. Law
Enforcement
6. Weapons for
War and
tactics
7. Alliance
Formulation
Government needs to check visitors in terms of their reasons for
being in the country and past criminal checks.
The Sentencing process should be made that it’s high so that
poachers know the consequences.
How can you involve community The community should be allowed
to comment and contribute to the plans and interventions..
We will need to increase law enforcement results by
increasing sentencing so that people can see how
serious the repercussions can be.
It was commented that the department of justice
supports the criminals with lawyers.
Suggestion to treat criminals just like how
international law enforcement treats criminals.
Require sophisticated equipment and training to fight poachers.
Community involvement in the form of conducting fence patrols.
All <strong>rhino</strong>s must be inserted with micro-chips.
The de-horning of <strong>rhino</strong>’s has decreased poaching in other conservation agencies. However, this has a negative advantage on
tourism.
Investigate what is going on at airports in terms of how the horns are passing through airports.
Investigate whether it is possible to weight the people coming into the country such as probing them on past criminal
involvement, their reason for being in the country, etc.
Suggestion that <strong>rhino</strong> trading be legalized in which parameters will be set to catch the poachers out. Legal <strong>rhino</strong> horn trade can
reduce poaching.
It is important for relationships to be established among the South African government, NGO’s and Communities in order to cultivate
a sense of teamwork and togetherness in the fight against <strong>rhino</strong> poaching. In strengthening relationships, the following strategic
alliances can be formed among all <strong>key</strong> stakeholders considering that this a joint effort:
Alliance between the Communities adjacent to the reserves and the Reserve Management (Conservation Agency); the sharing of
benefits and losses is crucial for good relations. Suggestions including the Anti-poaching Unit, Community Development Unit
(Awareness in community schools, churches, environment clubs, traditional leadership), and Park Forums (used to deliver
messages).
Alliance between the Amakhosi and Traditional Healers to the Community; the Amakhosi are responsible for re-introducing the
culture of Ubuntu amongst community members.
Alliance between the Amakhosi and Traditional Healers to the Conservation Agency. It is suggested that Healers must be
officialised within the communities in the form of formally appointing them as Healers via formal training in order to eradicate
criminal healers.
Alliance by all stakeholders mentioned above with the South African Police. Involvement in Police Forums.
Alliance by the Conservation Agency and Public Prosecutors.
Communities with no Inkosi such as townships, should also be considered in the formation of alliances; this includes Councillors
and other strategic partners.

QUESTIONS
1. How do we deal with the suspicion that field rangers working within conservation areas are involved in poaching
2. If there is information in the community, who can the community contact to take action so as to enable speedy reaction to the situation
3. There is no structure for reporting; who is the community to engage with as there are field rangers, police, soldiers, government police, etc Who
responds
4. Who to trust in the Reserve to whom the community can report the issues
5. The Rhino Summit lacked representation by the SANDF, NPA, etc. Should they not have been invited
6. We hear you that Amakhosi are saying we must contribute as the poachers come <strong>from</strong> the community. It would be nice if someone is caught, then it’s
nice to say that the poacher is coming <strong>from</strong> a specific inkosi area Can the conservation agency not be able to identify where the person is coming <strong>from</strong>
in view of the source of poachers This is the type of information required by Amakhosias feedback <strong>from</strong> investigations.
7. Can the tracking methods and skills of Traditional Healers not be used in the fight against poachers
8. Induna is not in the township, how will the Inkosi talk to people in the townships as these places are headed by councillors
9. How safe is the community member It was commented that it is very hard for the community to come out especially because they are not protected
at home
10. What is making it difficult for the community to inform the conservation agencies about their suspicions What makes it difficult for the community not
to come forward
11. This forum is unrepresentative of the SANDF, NPA, who are not available. This needs to be national problem. What do you do to close the market and
make it a national thing
12. Why can’t Ezemvelo make a promise to commit to the community financially as a means of reducing poaching
13. Suggestion to breed <strong>rhino</strong>’s at an increased level to meet the demand <strong>from</strong> the international market. The feeling was that, even if the community did
make a contribution, this would not resolve the problem. The <strong>rhino</strong>’s could be dehorned, the horns sold individually and the black market sales would
be reduced.
14. Mozambique and Swaziland are connected
CONCLUSION
The plan of action and intervention will require implementation by Communities, Amakhosi, Izinduna, Traditional Healers, Conservation Agencies and the
required stakeholders so that the next Rhino Summit will focus on evaluating the <strong>actions</strong> and interventions that have been successful in the fight against
<strong>rhino</strong> poaching .