SUNDAY TRIBUNE | Sunday, March 1 2020 5

 SUFFERING Ezemvelo head in firing line Paying R226 000 a month, out of cash-strapped entity’s coffers for six private bodyguards after ‘serious’ threats MMETRO MERVYN NAIDOO company with community members from the Drakensberg area failed when THE life of the acting head of Ezem- such a function ought to have been velo KZN Wildlife is apparently under handled by the Edtea. threat. And so afraid is Ntsikelelo Dlu- Olifant said Ezemvelo had set up a lane that he has surrounded himself “community levy fund” which was a with six private bodyguards – at a cost beneficiation initiative where R1 was of more than R200 000 a month – collected from day visitors and R5 from for which the embattled conservation overnight guests to their facilities. This entity is paying. fund was created to satisfy communities The threats are believed to have living next to parks, but not seeing any emerged after Dlulane cancelled a monetary benefits. R22 million contract recently. The community adjacent to the Nathi Olifant, spokesperson for Didima Resort (Emhlwazini, Drakens- KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Eco- berg) complained that they were not nomic Development, Tourism and enjoying benefits from the resort. Environmental Affairs (Edtea), said the To manage the beneficiation pro- threats Dlulane is facing were “serious”. ceeds to the community, Ezemvelo and “Previous chief executives, with other role players agreed to create the exception of Dr David Mabunda, did Section 21 company, said Olifant. not have bodyguards. Mabunda had He confirmed that Ezemvelo’s SCM three bodyguards at a cost of R56 940.” manager resigned in August 2017, and While Olifant was reluctant to due to the moratorium from national divulge Dlulane’s exact security detail, NTSIKELELO Dlulane government on filling vacant posts, the he confirmed that it would cost Ezem- position could not be advertised. velo – a government entity and regarded Ezemvelo considered other options, as a crown jewel, especially in the prov- chairperson. She raised that the lack of but it had proved too costly, and then ince’s tourism sector – around R226 000 stability in the chief executive’s position resorted to appointing its fixed assets to provide Dlulane with protection. was a big factor in Ezemvelo’s failings. manager as a temporary SCM head. Regarding the service contract that Govender questioned why other This department presently has a staff was initiated in January 2018 but was senior management positions, like a complement of 11 instead of 16, accord- recently terminated, Olifant revealed marketing manager, security manager, ing to their organogram. that, by Wednesday, nearly R17.5m was and head of supply chain management Olifant said, included in its youth paid out on the contract which was due (SCM), were yet to be appointed. educational programmes, was its initia- A MANAWA Game Reserve elephant amid thick bush at the KZN reserve. | GRANT FOWLDS to expire in December 2023. Ezemvelo, which according to its tive to give recent graduates work-based “The termination was not abrupt audited financial statements for the experience over a year but at “no stage as proper channels were followed in 2017/18 term, had received revenue of did interns work on their own or with-  CONSERVATION doing so. Before termination, there were nearly R1.1 billion, but has not had an out proper supervision”. several engagements between Ezemvelo SCM head since 2017. Olifant said Ezemvelo had a vibrant and the service provider over poor ser- Insiders said the department was run internal audit function that reported vice delivery,” said Olifant. largely by “interns”. administratively to the audit and risk Charity trumpets elephants’ safety Dlulane was also in the firing line Among the questions put to Dlulane committee and to Dlulane. when he appeared at the KZN legisla- by Scopa was whether Ezemvelo had an Audit logs, containing audit find- ture before the Standing Committee “audit management plan” and a plan to ings, were also submitted quarterly to FRED KOCKOTT of Project Rhino who worked closely house a large number of black and white on Public Accounts (Scopa) last week, manage “risks” found in its structures. Edtea and feedback was given to Ezem- with Coetzee, his family and others to rhinos, and a host of other threatened on behalf of Ezemvelo. The entity’s 2017/18 audit report velo regarding findings. THE Aspinall Foundation – an inter- realise the vision behind the Loziba Wil- species such as lions and cheetahs. He was grilled about the entity’s indicated that 647 992 people visited The process to recruit a chief execu- nationally renowned animal conserv- derness. “The irony is, Beyers sacrificed So it was critical that this ecosystem failure to appropriately address funda- Ezemvelo’s parks, and eco-tourism gen- tive began last year and interviews were ation charity – has stepped in to save his life to save this elephant herd.” be preserved as it is possibly one of the mental flaws and irregular expenditure erated a R241m revenue stream. scheduled for this month. a herd of 32 elephants in a northern Fowlds said to ensure the long-term last remaining wilderness areas in South that was detected yet again in the books Scopa also wanted to know from He said the delays in the appoint- KwaZulu-Natal reserve. survival of the herd, a new fence needed Africa which remains unprotected, said by Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu. Dlulane about the entity’s failings in ment of a marketing manager were due This follows the goring of conserv- to be built around the entire 40 000 hec- the foundation. The game of musical chairs played the upkeep of its facilities which would to the possibility that Ezemvelo would ationist Beyers Coetzee by two bulls tare wilderness, as per a compliance In the face of booming populations over Ezemvelo’s acting chief executive result in tourists taking their business to be merging with the Sharks Board, outside the privately-owned Manawa letter issued by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. in South Africa, the government lifted position was also thrown into the mix other establishments, and why Ezem- which did not happen. However, an Game Reserve on February 18. This alone requires at least R1 mil- a moratorium on elephant culling in by Maggie Govender, Scopa’s local velo’s attempts to set up a Section 21 appointment would be made in May. Coetzee was killed while his team lion, said Fowlds, who has welcomed the 2008 but imposed stringent conditions. was trying to drive back the Manawa intervention of the foundation. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokes- herd after they had again broken out On Friday, the foundation – a world person Musa Mntambo confirmed that a of the poorly fenced reserve. They were leader in the breeding and protection of lawyer acting on behalf of the Coetzee trying to guide the elephants to a safe endangered animals – set up a fundrais- family, Peter Rutsch, had submitted an area away from local villages. ing drive in support of these efforts and appeal not to cull the Manawa herd, Coetzee was the driving force behind the expansion of the game park. but said it was premature to speculate plans to expand the reserve into a larger “Beyers committed his life to on any decision. game park, the Loziba Wilderness, in establishing the area to be known as He said the circumstances surround- partnership with neighbouring com- Loziba Wilderness Reserve, a 40 000ha ing the incident would first be thor- munities and other landowners. breath-taking piece of land,” reads the oughly investigated. But recent breakouts by elephants foundation’s plea on the fundraising site “We are in the business of conserving have threatened relations with neigh- Just Giving. animals and the decision to destroy any bouring communities, ultimately also “The loss of Beyers has left his ele- animal is taken with a heavy heart, in jeopardising plans to expand the reserve. phants exposed and it is critical that most cases only to prevent further loss “Now, the entire Manawa herd is at fellow conservationists, who were of human life,” said Mntambo. risk of being culled if measures to pre- assisting Beyers with saving the ele- Coetzee is survived by his wife vent further human-elephant conflict phants, step in to keep his legacy alive.” Una and two young children. | www. fail,” said Grant Fowlds, an ambassador The reserve has the potential to safely rovingreporters.co.za

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