23 June 2016

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2 Talk of the Town ADVERTISING / NEWSDESK: (046) 624 4356 Find us on Facebook June 23, 2016 Arrests of poachers praised but won’t bring ‘big guy’ back From page 1 caps; a variety of camping gear and rations; several cellphones; and two rental vehicles which were rented by the suspects. All items were seized and will be used as evidence. The suspects have been identified as the group linked to the killing of Campbell. It is suspected that the rhino was darted using the equipment and items that were found by operation Full Moon. Acting Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Major General Zamuthango Mki thanked all the members and officials deployed at the operation. “Operation Full Moon is aimed at curbing rhino poaching activities in a structured and co-ordinated manner. “This is a major breakthrough for the police in the province. The arrests must send a message that SAPS members in the rural areas are as vigilant [as anywhere else]”, Major General Mki said. However, back at Bucklands, the misery of having lost their iconic rhino has caused a great deal of sadness among both the management, rangers and the general public. “It is difficult to feel positive at this point although I’m glad they have been caught,” Stuart said. “I hope our justice system will not let us down. I’m also hopeful that it will mean something to other reserves that have been hit as well, and help them. “I am grateful for the breakthrough although it won’t bring our rhino back. Those of you who had encountered Campbell on game drives, while on a guided walk or observing him from the lodge, knew what a special character he wa s . “Campbell was, without a doubt, a true member of our family. Rest safely, big guy.” ¿ 29 Miles St, Port Alfred PO Box 2871, Port Alfred, 6170 046 624 4356 / Fax: 046 624 2293 Mauneen Charter, mcharter@timesmedia.co.za Sonja Raasch, sonjar@timesmedia.co.za Anneli Hanstein, hansteina@timesmedia.co.za Jon Houzet, houzetj@timesmedia.co.za The Proprietors,Times Media Community Newspapers, 19 Baakens Street, Port Elizabeth. The copyright of all material in this newspaper, or which is attributed to others, is expressly reserved. Residents win case Court orders Ndlambe to fix dump and maintain sewage tank, while Dumezweni found in contempt JON HOUZET NDLAMBE municipal manager Rolly Dumezweni has been found guilty of contempt of court for failing to heed a high court order from 2009, compelling the municipality to rectify an overflowing sewage conservancy tank in Marselle to prevent raw sewage from polluting the Bushman’s R i v e r. In a judgment handed down by Judge Murray Lowe last week, the Grahamstown High Court also found the municipality had “breached its constitutional and statutory obligations in respect of refuse removal, refuse dumps and solid waste disposal” at the Marselle/Bushman’s River dumpsite, and failed to take timeous steps to decommission the site and find an alternative appropriate site. Dumezweni escaped with a warning, but the court placed a more severe burden on the municipality to attend to the dumpsite. Lowe described the case as “a sad tale of frustration and anxiety on the part of the residents of Kenton-on- Sea and Bushman’s River”. “It raises issues relevant to the local residents’ entitlement to basic essential municipal services and the maintenance thereof to a reasonable standard, particularly relating to sewage reticulation, sewage works and an adequate and functioning refuse removal system and waste dumpsite, properly maintained in accordance with regulatory st a n d a r d s , ” Lowe said. The case was brought by the Kenton-on-Sea R at e p ay e r s ’ A s s o c i at i o n (Kosra), Nature’s Landing Homeowners’ A s s o c i at i o n and Bushman’s Kariega Estuary Care in October 2014 and only heard last month after several postponements. By the time Kosra and its co-applicants brought the suit, the municipality had installed a pump station at the conservancy tank, but the pump was not operational as there was no electricity connection. During this time, sewage had been observed overflowing from the conservancy tank and into the Bushman’s River estuary on numerous occasions. In answering affidavits, Dumezweni denied any contempt of court, and said he had no direct knowledge of the circumstances of the giving of the order in 2009, and that he was appointed municipal manager in September 2009 in an acting capacity and later p e r m a n e n t l y. The municipality conceded there may have been sewage spills, but that it had done its best to empty the tank with vacuum tankers and had not acted mala fide (in bad faith). Lowe, however, said his “distinct impression” wa s that Dumezweni and other municipal officials were “less than diligent in seeking to comply with the order”. He found Dumezweni’s explanations inadequate and said the municipality’s failure to come up with a permanent solution “has been demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt to have been ... wilfull and mala fide”. Lowe accepted that the municipality had eventually remedied the conservancy tank and pump station, but said the municipality and Dumezweni “were in contempt of court for a considerable period”. He said Dumezweni escaped with a warning due only to the passing of time. In their arguments about the dump, Kosra and its co-applicants stepped back from the suggestion that the municipality was deliberately burning rubbish, conceding that this was a “spontaneous combustion problem” due to overloading at the site and improper waste management, including the failure to cover refuse with sand from time to time. A decommissioning license for the dumpsite was granted in March last year. Kosra argued that pending its closure and rehabilitation, the dumpsite should not be utilised at all. Lowe granted a structural/ supervisory interdict ordering the municipality and Dumezweni to report to the court no later than July 14 on what steps would be taken for maintenance of the Rivers Bend pump station and the Marselle/Bushman’s River dumpsite; and compelling the municipality to take all reasonable steps to prevent the burning of rubbish at the dumpsite, ensure waste is confined and collect windblown refuse in a 1.5km radius. He ordered that the municipality and Dumezweni be jointly and severally liable for the contempt application. The municipality was ordered to pay the other costs. 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June 23, 2016 ADVERTISING / NEWSDESK: (046) 624 4356 Find us on Facebook Talk of the Town 3 ROB KNOWLES THE on-going danger of cattle roaming freely on Ndlambe’s major roads is a factor residents and visitors have had to deal with for years. But Michael Konatha of Kenton-on-Sea recently had cause for even greater concern when the animals invaded his property and nearly killed his 10-year-old daughter. Poachers plague farm ROB KNOWLES BLOOD and guts poured from the back of Rob Greyling’s bakkie at Green Fountain Farm on Monday morning from the carcasses of several dead animals he recovered after a syndicate of youths fled the scene while attempting to kill a bush pig. The youths and their dogs quickly scarpered when Greyling witnessed the savage act, whereby they abandoned the attack on the bush pig which they had trapped at a watering hole. On reaching the scene, Greyling found two backpacks and a separate plastic bag filled with butchered meat from bushbuck and duiker that belonged to Green Fountain Farm. A visibly distressed Greyling said that poachers had invaded his farm at Green Fountain many times in the past and, on a previous occasion, an ostrich was killed. “The youths responsible for the slaughter are usually a gang of two or three with up to 15 dogs with them,” Greyling said. “I caught them trapping a bush pig, and when they saw me they ran, leaving the bags with the animal meat lying on the ground.” E-mail your view to houzetj@timesmedia.co.za Chaos-causing cattle almost kill child At about 1pm on Friday last week, a large untethered ox entered Konatha’s property and leant against the wall of his house, pinning Konatha’s daughter under its weight. “Fortunately, she was saved by a neighbour,” Konatha said. “I was asleep at the time but, HORRIFIC END: The booty collected from a group of young poachers at Green Fountain Farm. The backpacks have carcasses of four bushbuck and a duiker. The plastic bag holds livers of eight animals. Picture: ROB KNOWLES Greyling believes he has lost perhaps six or more animals in this one attack alone. “I reported the case to the police, but they probably won’t even follow-up. Poaching is rife in this area, so I don’t expect much assistance from them,” he said. Greyling said the meat from the animals was not for personal consumption but is rather sold to the communities as game m e at . “It seems that these poachers [Greyling estimates they are between the ages of 18 and 30] are only part of the problem. “The people who buy the meat from them are also to blame for supporting this illegal industr y,” he said. “The youths bring around 15 dogs with them. They get through the game fencing surround the farm and then allow the dogs to bring down any large game.” Greyling described the method of poaching involved on hearing the noise outside, I got up and opened my back door. There were about 10 cows all on my property, destroying fences and garden.” Konatha said that this must stop, “before a child is seriously injured or even killed”. Free-ranging cattle dogs chasing, catching and then tearing the flesh from the unfortunate animal as it attempts to escape. He said it was a “horrific way to die”. within the Ekuphumleni Township, as well as others in the Nldambe area, have been responsible for several traffic accidents in the past. Konatha believes the municipality lacks the political will to impound animals. Recently cows have been “Everyone gets upset when a rhino is poached, but they miss the fact that it all begins here, with the youth and their dogs illegally hunting buck and other animals. We need to get the members of the communities who purchase meat from the poachers to stop buying it,” he said. Greyling estimated that the meat was sold for around R10/kg, whereas the value of the animals are between R5000 to R20 000 each. Port Alfred SAPS was contacted for any further information but no reply had been received by the time of going to press. seen walking along Albany Road with no markings, making it virtually impossible to identify ownership. Non-branded cattle are supposed to be taken to the animal pound in Alexandria but, since this facility has been closed for some time, and with the lack of municipal vehicles available to transport the cattle, this issue is unlikely to be resolved in the near future. TotT contacted the municipality, whose job it is to clear the area of stray cattle, to establish what its plan is to ensure the safety of road users and residents, but had received no answers by the time of going to press. 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23 June 2016

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