Animals Will Be Culled in Lionspruit
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443257R Wednesday August 26, 2020 Tel: 013-790-0651 Free Animals will be culled in Lionspruit MARLOTH PARK - Cindy Benson, chairperson of the Marloth Park Ratepayers Association (MPRA), said she and her organisation are glad that a workable plan to cull the overpopulation of game in this bush town is finally in the process, and is set to start this week. Though the last word on the ownership of the animals has not been spoken (see letter on page 6). Benson said in a letter to Corridor Gazette that in July, however, a plan had been brought to the table to capture animals passively and move them to Lionspruit and to cull them there as the animals were now showing signs of possible starvation. “The idea of the contractor, the Wildlife Vets of Nelspruit, was to have a brigade of people with pots and pans to drive the animals into Lionspruit, but that could cause possible risk to both the owners and animals. Permission would have to be granted by each property owner to trespass on their properties. “MPRA has now offered to assist the contractor to passively capture animals with our mobile drop-down bomas and warthog capture cages and transport them to Lionspruit to be culled or sold. “Recent reports published accusing Game eat from a bird feeder outside a residence in the park due to a lack of natural grazing. Photo: Marius Bakkes MPRA for the condition of the animals and no culling taking place due to our applying for the court to determine ownership of the animals, has nothing to do with game removal which should have been done three years ago. MPRA has no problem with the animals being culled in Lionspruit as shooting the animals there will not be a Marloth ecosystem risk to human life or properties. We gave our mandate to the contractor on August 12 already and they are busy building bomas as we speak. MPRA’s bomas have already been in place since 2019. Ironically our proposal, which we made in 2019 to remove animals passively to Lionspruit has now been under heavy strain accepted due to the fact that they can now be shot for remuneration.” Linzetta Calitz functions going. He confirmed again that these impalas’ “There was severe muscle wasting as she worrying state is due to the lack of adequate MARLOTH PARK - In two days, seven had to break down her own protein to keep food available in the park. impalas were found either dead or on the her blood protein stable. The animals’ suffering continues in the brink of death in Marloth Park. “In the end her body reserves were midst of the ongoing legal battle surrounding Those that had not died already were depleted, and the little food that is available the ownership of the wildlife in Marloth euthanised. is not sufficient for her daily required energy Park. The community is split. A post by the Marloth Wildlife Fund on needs.” Some support the Marloth Park Facebook did the rounds on August 14, Ratepayers’ Association in its bid to assert showing one of the impalas that had been The animals’ suffering continues ownership of Marloth’s parklands and wild found. The photo was accompanied by the animals. results of a post-mortem. in the midst of the ongoing Others support the Marloth Park Property According to Dr Peet Venter, who is legal battle surrounding the Owners’ Association’s view that the associated with the Marloth Wildlife Fund, ownership of the wildlife state owns the animals and must consult the post-mortem indicated that the impala in Marloth Park property owners with regard to cooperative ewe showed advanced wasting syndrome or management of the animals and the cachexia. environment. Furthermore, other than five small This resulted in a total negative energy After a webinar held in July, there was a lungworm lesions, the internal organs were balance, sudden weakness, no muscle consensus that the culling of a large number normal. Venter said these lesions were not strength, collapse and then a slow death of wildlife is likely the only option that abnormal to find in impalas and in general, a over a period of six to 24 hours due to would give Marloth’s ecosystem a fighting large percentage of these antelope presented malnutrition. chance. with this upon death. Venter is currently unaware of any The process of how it will take place has The report continued, “There were no other such cases in Marloth Park and said been the issue. In the interest of the wildlife, fat reserves. The hard fat in the abdomen, predicting future cases would be difficult. “It all the organisations have now agreed not around the heart and the kidneys and even will depend on the first rain. If it takes too to hinder the municipality in the current The carcass of an impala found in the the fat inside the kidneys, had been utilised long, we will enter a critical stage and more required game off-take and this process will residential area of Marloth Park. to supply energy to keep her normal body and more animals will die.” commence in due course. Photo: Theuns Coetzee To advertise, contact Mariette Jordaan 065-868-2316 or email: [email protected] 2 Corridor Gazette NEWS Wednesday August 26, 2020 Confusion over traders’ business licences MALALANE - There has been continuous MEC for Cogta, as well as the premier of silence regarding the issuing of business Mpumalanga. licences rather than Companies and According to Cyril Ripinga, Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) spokesperson for the municipality, permits in Nkomazi the past couple of the whole situation was a big weeks. misunderstanding. Corridor Gazette has frequently contacted “It is prudent to differentiate between the South African Business Federation the business licences and a permit to (previously the Nkomazi Small Business operate for the duration of lockdown. The and Informal Traders), but has received no business licence is issued according to the response as to what the current situation is. Mpumalanga Business Act. These are valid Small businesses and informal traders for the duration of the year and the tariffs were allegedly misguided into paying for are determined by a municipal council, business licences, instead of being assisted according to the municipal tariffs. with free CIPC permits, during the first “They are issued from July 1 to June 30 weeks of lockdown. According to the South each financial year. The tariffs differ from African Business Federation, around one business sector to the other. R2 million was collected by Nkomazi Local “It must be emphasised that not a single Municipality (NLM) for these licences. person paid for a permit to operate during Their concern at large was that the process the lockdown period, as these are free of appeared as a corrupt revenue generation by charge.” the municipality by using the pandemic. The South African Business Federation’s “It should be clear that most of the traders Zinembe Sibiya and Zakhele Madlopha, No arrests yet after Hawks raid at never applied for business licences and were however, provided copies of the documents under the belief and that they were required that show certain businesses being issued by the Covid-19 coronavirus regulations licences to operate, even though they were Nkomazi Local Municipality to purchase the permits. The municipality not essential during that part of lockdown. intentionally misled the traders into “Our communities must differentiate MALALANE - No arrests have procurement regulations. believing that they were issuing Covid-19 between a business licence and the been made since the Directorate for “The monetary value involved is permits, while they unlawfully generated lockdown permit. Business permits during Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) in approximately R27 million. The DPCI’s revenue by way of misrepresentation the lockdown period are free of charge Mpumalanga conducted a search and serious commercial crime investigation, to the traders,” the federation stated in and are issued according to the Disaster seizure operation at the Nkomazi Local digital forensic laboratory and the local a query to NLM’s executive mayor, the Management Act,” Ripinga concluded. Municipality recently. SAPS’ criminal record centre seized several According to Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi, documents from different offices, which will the operation followed investigations in assist in the ongoing probe,” said Mulaudzi relation to alleged Covid-19 procurement on Friday morning. fraud, wherein the appointment of No arrests have been made thus far. contractors and service providers Further details will be divulged at a was inconsistent with the requisite later stage. Deon de Bruyn murder trial postponed MBOMBELA - The trial of seven on August 5. suspects who were allegedly involved The trial was postponed as two in the murder of Deon de Bruyn in July suspects were in conflict with their legal 2018, was postponed to August 26 at the representative after repeatedly changing Mpumalanga High Court. statements and presenting new information The trial was set to begin on August 4, minutes before the trial started. The legal however, one of the suspects was awaiting representative withdrew from the case his Covid-19 test result. The result was and asked that the court seek alternative delayed as it was deemed confidential counsel for the two. The suspects were Zinembe Sibiya and his colleague, Zakhele Madlopha, with copies of the business licences information. The test returned negative remanded in custody. that were issued to local small businesses and traders. CORONA CORONA CORONA CORONA Preventions: WHAT YOU CAN DO PRECAUTION If you are mildly sick, keep Rapistyourself hydrated and stay and robber at home and rest. If you are PREVENTION concerned about your symptoms, For the elderly and call the hotline on very young, there is 0800-029-999.