African Wildlife & Environment Issue 83

GENERAL

In her CEO’s Letter Helena Atkinson refers to the recent publication of The State of Provincial Reserves in South Africa, Challenges and Recommendations (researched and produced by the EWT and seed -funded by WESSA). The current state of provincial protected areas in South Africa is of great concern, with pressing issues that are threatening their functionality, effectiveness, and viability. But our flagship protected area, the Kruger National Park, a potential international tourism gold mine, is also fraying at the edges. Friends who recently visited the iconic KNP spoke of tattered bedsheets and towels, and a general sense of decay and disinterest by the staff in the camps. A very scary publication dated January 2023 recently crossed my desk. written by Julian Rademeyer and titled Landscape of fear - Crime, corruption and murder in greater Kruger , this story will chill the bones of everyone who cares about nature conservation and the incredible biodiversity of our beautiful country. Here is the summary: “For more than a decade, Kruger National Park has faced a relentless onslaught of rhino poaching. But today its greatest threat is internal corruption, itself a symptom of a breakdown in trust, staff EDITORIAL “Now is the winter of our discontent” (William Shakespeare’s Richard III). This much-quoted opening line may well be quite appropriate to South Africa as we passed mid-winter of 2023 on 21 June. The country seems to be in disarray, with intermittent electricity supply from an increasingly dysfunctional Eskom. Water delivery and quality is deteriorating at municipal level, with the outbreak of cholera at Hammanskraal north of Pretoria being symptomatic of the incompetence and corruption of the politicians that are supposed to be the service providers to those who elected them. Even the seemingly non-political and well-intentioned national parks, nature reserves and protected areas are under siege by the rural poor and the criminal syndicates who are stripping the country of whatever assets they can make money out of, be it copper wire or rhino horn.

Dr John Ledger

cohesion and professionalism within the park. Recent staff arrests following lengthy financial investigations and a renewed commitment to combat corruption are bearing fruit but will require political support, clear law enforcement strategies to address organised crime around the park and a long-term investment.The park is severely affected by corrosive corruption and violent organised crime, particularly in Mpumalanga, where staff living in surrounding communities are vulnerable to deeply entrenched criminal syndicates.” These Mpumalanga criminal syndicates are also behind the destruction of Eskom and the resulting parlous state of electricity supply to South African citizens. They have infiltrated the coal supply chain, stealing the good quality coal and substituting it with poor grades, bulked up with bricks and stones, that damage the milling machines and the boilers at the power stations. They sabotage generation machinery so that their fellow criminals can get the contracts to repair the damage and supply spare parts at inflated prices.The story is repeated at every level of government in South Africa. And at the very heart of all this is the governing political party of South Africa. The Ministry of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment is responsible for protected areas and biodiversity conservation in South Africa. The buck stops right there on the desk of the Minster. Let's hope that she reads the two reports referred to here and takes appropriate action. The situation unfolding in our protected areas is placing us in breach of the international Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). South Africa deserves better than this.

Dr John Ledger Consulting Editor john.ledger@wol.co.za 083 650 1768

1 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 83 (2023)