Porous borders aid Rhino poachers – AfriForum
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Written by Mxolisi Ncube
Wednesday, 04 August 2010 12:46
JOHANNESBURG – A South African civil rights group this week called on that
country’s government to engage other nations, including Zimbabwe, in its
on-going efforts to stop rhino poaching, cases of which are escalating by
the day.
Civil rights group AfriForum said early this week that the recent arrest of
seven rhino poaching suspects from Vietnam, Zimbabwe and Mozambique was once
again proof that good border control is essential, hence the call by the
organisation for the South African government to discuss the issue with the
governments of the other countries concerned, especially the government of
Vietnam, in order to determine the origin of the poaching problem.
“This is not the first time that a Vietnamese national has been arrested in
connection with rhino poaching in South Africa,” said James Kemp, AfriForum’s
spokesperson on environmental affairs.
“Another Vietnamese man, Zhong Wong, was recently sentenced to 10 years in
prison after being caught with 16,1 kg rhino horn. The areas where the horns
are being sold should be identified and handled by each country in question.
“Proper cooperation amongst countries is essential to address the problem.
For this reason we also welcome Interpol’s involvement in the task team of
the Minister of Environmental Affairs, which will start functioning in the
near future.”
Kemp added that it was important to determine whether rhino horn had any
medicinal values, as traditional healers in China suggest.
“No scientific proof could confirm this to date, yet rhinos are still being
killed. In order to tackle rhino poaching effectively, the superstitions
that contribute to the problem should be addressed too.”
Zimbabwe has itself not been spared the effect of rhino poaching, with some
South African hunters and safari operators said to be plundering Zimbabwe’s
wildlife stocks and getting rich from illegal hunting and the trade in rhino
horn.