Eastern Cape Economic Development and Environmental Affairs and Tourism MEC, Sakhumzi Somyo, has paid tribute to park rangers during the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Mountain Zebra National Park on Monday.
In a speech prepared for delivery he said World Ranger Day was being celebrated at a time when the country was reporting on the successes of its Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros which recorded a drop in the number of rhino poaching incidents.
“However, the decline in the Kruger Park and Mpumalanga is not being experienced in the rest of the country,” he said.
“Until the end of June KwaZulu-Natal had experienced an increase in poaching with 133 of these majestic animals being killed for their horns. While no rhino had been poached here in the Mountain Zebra National Park, the Eastern Cape recorded a loss of three rhinos in the first six months of 2017,” Somyo said.
In paying tribute to park rangers, MEC Somyo said “these are the men and women on the frontline – the people who keep our precious natural resources safe.”
“They put their lives on the line every day to keep our flora and fauna safe and on behalf of all South Africans I want to thank each and every one of them for their dedication and passion for conservation,” he said.
Environmental Affairs Minister, Edna Molewa, said that rangers in certain parts of South Africa face daily hardships in their efforts to protect many of our species, such as the elephant, rhino, cycad and abalone, from unscrupulous poachers.
“Our country’s natural beauty derived from our enormous biodiversity is a key income generator and thus an important contributor to our economy through job creation and tourism. It is through the actions of these brave men and women, who risk their lives daily to protect our natural world and our many species,” said Minister Molewa.
