Hi again,
Here’s hoping you all enjoyed the festive season and that 2006 will bring happiness and good health to you all.
Herewith, some snippets from various sources.
I appeal to you to send me items to distribute to our members for both the Cleft Stick and to be posted on the web site. It is your magazine and website, so ensure it gets the news that you would like to see in it.
Please let me have any changes to your physical address, phone no. or e-mail address to keep the database up to date.
Thanks to all of you who have made the effort. Please will any of you who know of members who do not get this “electric” Cleft~Stick, & have access to e-mail, pass their address along to me.
Don Yunnie
7 Chalet Drive, Hilton, 3245, South Africa Local Tel & Fax (033) 343 1534 Int. Tel & Fax (+2733) 343 1534 cell 082 377 7562 E-mail dyunnie@xsinet.co.za.
If you do not wish to receive this e-mail newsletter please send a blank e-mail to me at the above address with the word “unsubscribe C~S ” as the message heading.
AGM travel arrangements - Lowveld
All GRAA Lowveld members:
OVERLANDER TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS FOR 2006 AGM TO NAMIBIA
By now you all should have Don Yunnie’s circular on the arrangements for the AGM. Should you need any more info, please contact myself or Don, or go to:
http://www.gameranger.org/agm_05.htm#top_so.
Herewith then the arrangements for the Overlander Truck, partially sponsored by Drifters Adventours, to transport Lowveld members and other members, should there be space open, to the AGM:
The program for the AGM is as follows:
Sunday 19 February……….Departure
Monday 20 February............. Arrival
Tuesday 21 February............. Workshop
Wednesday 22 February...... Day outing on NamibRand in 4x4 vehicles
Thursday 23 February.......... Annual General Meeting of GRAA
Friday 24 February............... Departure
Saturday 25 February……….Arrival
The Le-Bombo Eco-Trail fund raiser, organized by Vanessa Strydom, will cover most of the cost of the overlander. The difference will have to be carried by the passengers. Keep in mind that the 26-seater bus from Johannesburg will cost members R1230-00+…There are a maximum of 28 seats available on the overlander.
Departure will be on Sunday 19 February at 09:00 from the Herne’s Camp in Balule, outside Hoedspruit (directions will be given to passengers at confirmation of their reservations).
There will be safe parking for vehicles during our absence.
The cost per Lowveld member will be R200-00 per person.
The cost per family member of Lowveld members will be R400-00 per person. Bookings will be made on a strictly “first-come-first-served” basis. Bookings will only be done on proof of payment of
a) AGM 2006 registration fees;
b) GRAA membership fees for 2006.
c) R200-00 / R400-00 reservation fee for the overlander.
Proof of above payments should be faxed or e-mailed to the chairperson at the above numbers for reservation. Should there be any seats still open by 1 February 2006, it will be made available to ALL and ANY GRAA member on the same conditions. Non-Lowveld members can put their names on a waiting list for the overlander, should there be seats open on 1 February 2006.
The overlander will travel via Pretoria to pick up members there if necessary.
We will have to overnight at campsites en-route there and back. These overnight costs are NOT included in the price, and members will have to budget additionally for it. The exact cost will be given closer to departure. Meals and other refreshments for the trip will also be for the member’s own accounts.
The overlander is fully equipped with tents, cooking and dining facilities, tables, chairs etc. These items will be available for our use, so we don’t have to take our own equipment with. This means that we don’t have to book any of the tents or other facilities available at the NamibRand NR. Please note however that a person causing any damage to any equipment will be liable for the repair or replacement of such equipment. PASSENGERS MUST PROVIDE THEIR OWN SLEEPING BAGS AND PILLOWS!
I look forward to receiving your reservation soon. Hurry and join this party-truck, otherwise you might be left with digging deep into your wallet for alternative travel arrangements!
Best Regards
Chairperson
MARIUS FULS
Bestuurder - Struwig Eko-Reservaat
(t) 015 - 769 6057
(f) 015 - 769 6169
struwig@xpoint.co.za
Namibia AGM: Travel arrangements for KZN members
A number of KZN members have indicated that they would like to attend but don’t have transport arranged; a few others are going up in their own vehicles and have place for another passenger or two if they are able to share traveling expenses of getting there; and one or two others are going but planning on doing an extended tour through Namibia afterwards. Others may wish to travel in convoy. In order to co-ordinate arrangements and put people in touch with one another to fill available spaces in vehicles and find lifts for people as far as possible, please let Wayne Lotter know whether you:
a) Are going directly to the Namibia AGM and straight back and have place for a passenger or two?
b) Are going to the Namibia AGM and on a pre/post AGM tour and have place for a passenger or two?
c) Are going to the Namibia AGM and would be interested in traveling in convoy?
d) Want to attend but are in need of a lift, and if so: i) for how many people & ii) which of potential options a) & b) above you prefer?
e) Are thinking of flying to Windhoek and hiring a vehicle from there if someone else is willing to share the vehicle expenses with you (this point is applicable to all regions, not just KZN)?
f) Have any other needs or suggestions not covered in any of the above questions?
Wayne (waynelotter@iafrica.com ; Cell: 0836661320; [H] (033) 3302977) will then collate the responses received relating to the above and put respondents with potentially complementary needs in touch with one another as far as possible!
Please remember the GRAA Calendar of African Rangers in their natural habitat, as advertised in a recent Cleft Stick. We need you to give us your best shot!
Thanks and regards,
Wayne
GRAA Clothing
Shirts and Professional Members caps to be offered in the new year.
Shirts are Large, Medium or Small will cost R135.00 (including badge) and caps are one size fits all will cost R60.00 (also including the badge).
All members are asked to place orders in advance (before 24th January 2006) to Sonja Krueger 082 877 4122 and 033 239 1516(w) or George Zaloumis 082 430 5290 and 033 330 7097 (h).
The perfect present
.Bruce's book is on the shelves and with Kalahari.net... Grab this magic book while stocks last!
Short Description
This is a collection of stories about the life of a bushveld conservationist as it is lived at ground level by that elite band of men and women who guard the Kruger National Park – at the cost of much sweat and, not infrequently, quite a bit of blood. Bruce Bryden's tales of 30 years in the service of our most famous park make a gripping and entertaining read, abounding with encounters with elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino, whether darting for research, managing culling operations by helicopter or stalking on foot. In the best tradition of bushveld stories, there is a great deal of shooting, and a fair amount of running away; there are meetings with extraordinary characters among the rangers; memorable gatherings; hilarious mishaps and narrow escapes; and throughout, a great love and respect for both the wilderness and the creatures that inhabit it.
Good news from Jim Feely
Div de Villliers asked me to let you know that judgement was given by Mr Justice S. Miller on 9 December 2005 in the Mthatha High Court case against developers/occupiers of holiday cottages along a stretch of coast between Port St Johns and Mbotyi.
They were found guilty on two counts:- of unlawful development in the coastal conservation area and of contravening the laws regarding the disposal of State Trust land. They have been ordered to demolish the structures within the next four months, and to re-habiltate the sites. Have not heard what other penalties were imposed.
Div is on leave at the moment and out of comms.
Regards
Jim.
and on the same topic, EARTH WINDOW by TONY CARNIE
YEARS of legal warfare over the sprawl of illegal holiday cottages on the Transkei Wild Coast have ended with a decisive legal victory for the State - and a whopping legal bill for at least 16 cottage-owners from KwaZulu-Natal.
Handing down verdict in Mthatha earlier this month, High Court judge Selwyn Miller delivered a landmark legal ruling which could pave the way for the demolition of up to 250 cottages which have been built without formal planning controls and State approval.
Several elaborately-crafted legal defences also appear to have tumbled like skittles after Judge Miller rolled his bowling ball down judgement alley at the end of a civil court case which began almost five years ago.
One of the first skittles to fall was the defence argument that the cottage-owners - all affluent, white residents of KwaZulu-Natal - had been discriminated against on the basis of their colour, in defiance of the Constitution.
The 16 KZN residents, represented by Advocate K J Kemp SC, opposed eviction on several grounds, including a suggestion that only white cottage-owners had been targeted by the State, while no action was taken against black people whose presence also threatened the pristine environment of the Wild Coast.
They maintained that local communities of Black Sands, Manteku and Dagaan wanted the white cottage-owners to stay in the area. Judge Miller said it had been alleged that the cottage-owners were "in a sense, victims of apartheid and that their eviction would amount to ethnic cleansing" in the former black homeland. They told the court that they had helped the local community by creating new jobs and building a creche and drinking water tank.
But Advocate Marumo Moerane SC, representing the State, countered that the KZN cottagers had in fact created a "white enclave" since their holiday homes had been built at some distance from homes occupied by members of the local Emtweni tribe. Nor had they contributed any "substantial" assistance to the community.
Judge Miller found the cottage-owners' argument to be unsubstantiated and "far-fetched" considering that black residents had occupied the area for many generations while the white cottage-builders acquired their beachfront holiday sites less than a decade ago for roughly R200 each, in "blatant contravention" of the law.
Nor could the cottage-builders seek protection from eviction under the Interim Protection of Land Rights law of 1996, a piece of legislation which was intended to protect poor communities being stripped of their informal land rights.
Miller said this law clearly applied to "any tribal, customary or indigenous law or practice of a tribe." "All of the defendants reside in KwaZulu-Natal and there is no evidence to suggest that any of them have ever been inducted as members of a tribe in the Mtambalala Administrative Area. It can in the circumstances be safely assumed that none of the defendants is a member of such a tribe."
Further evidence of their lack of tribal or relevant community-based status was the fact that their permanent homes were in KwaZulu-Natal and they had not derived their rights through a set of shared rules for land held in common.
Two other defence skittles, prescription and estoppel, were also knocked down.
One of the most crucial rulings from an ecological perspective, was Judge Miller's decision to uphold the legality of Environmental Conservation Decree No 9 of 1992 which prohibits unauthorised development along a one kilometre wide coastal strip.
Miller said this Decree by General Bantu Holomisa's former military council had never been repealed "and is therefore still in force".
None of the 16 cottage-builders had a valid permit issued to them under the Decree, nor had they applied for Permission to Occupy (PTO) permits.
Miller accepted that the KZN cottagers did seek permission to build from the local headman, Torch Hola, as well as the local chief Hanxa and then paid in the region of R200 each as "customary fees" to the local tribal authority to obtain what were described as Fishing Site Licences.
According to the evidence at the trial, the prospective cottagers held meetings with Chief Hanxa, local community members and Dumisani Ntete a local agricultural official who had an office at the Lusikisiki Magistrates' Court.
Summarising the procedures used to obtain cottage rights between 1995 and 1997, Miller said: "The chief then asked the members of the local community who were present, who, on occasions, numbered up to one hundred people, whether there were any objections to the site being allocated to the defendant concerned. No objections were ever made. The gathering then engaged in a celebration where food and drink supplied by the defendants was consumed and the chief gave permission for structures to be erected on the site."
For the first few years the KZN cottagers also paid a local tax and general levy totalling just R20 a year, but both these taxes fell away in the late 1990s.
Judge Miller ruled however, that a tribal authority did not have the power to allocate land. It only had authority to consider and make recommendations to the local magistrate.
"There is and never has been any official record of the defendants' occupation of the land. Their sites are unnumbered and are not mapped or recorded and the size of their sites is unknown. It is evident that some of the original occupiers have transferred their occupation to other persons and there is not even any record of who the occupier of each site is." It is not clear from his judgement whether such land allotment procedures are applied uniformly along the coast, possibly creating a chink for a legal appeal.
However, with the cottage-owners' legal costs currently estimated to exceed R1 000 000, it remains to be seen whether the judgement will be taken on appeal.
Miller, however, said he had no doubt that the Environmental Conservation Decree of 1992 was in the public interest. It was clear that the Decree was intended to control development and prevent the uncontrolled degradation of the environment of the Wild Coast. "These controls are necessary in order to create a basis for sustainable environmental management and sustainable development in the area which will, if properly conducted, have long-lasting benefits.
But the cottage-owners had not familiarised themselves with lawful land allocation procedures and built cottages despite being warned at an early stage by members of the Heath Commission that their occupation was unlawful. He warned that the illegal cottage-owners could also be liable to criminal prosecution, noting that "the wrongful degradation of the environment in the sites where the cottages stand persists to this day".
"The court cannot allow the continuing illegality to persist. To do so would, in all probability, encourage further unlawful allocations of sites along the coast" and create the impression that the conservation Decree and permit procedure had no legal effect.
Miller ordered all sixteen cottages to be demolished - voluntarily by the owners before early April 2006, or forcefully by the sheriff if the cottagers fail to comply.
The sixteen KZN residents who stand to lost the cottages are Peter Goss, David Sinclair Barnett, Patricia Stephanie Canham, Stephen Hugh Church, Peter Clowes, James Kevin Doveton, Hilton Llewellyn Lane, Ashton Henry Martin, Richard Jeremy Reen, Jacob John Rothman, William Turton, Edward Lawrence Barry, Michael Beresford, Bruce Dornleo, R John Pickering and Neville Danson Taylor.
Chris Dwen, a spokesman for the Manteku and Black Sands Cottage Owners' Association, said no final decision had been made on whether to appeal. Rather than demolishing the cottages, he hoped environmental authorities would agree to meet his members to discuss a "win-win" situation. However, Vumile Mafunda, legal representative of the State Attorney in Mthatha, said legal notices had already been served on most of the 250 or so illegal cottage-owners. "We will be going after all of them from early in the new year," he warned.
Ugandan poachers killed in D R Congo
By Gerald Tenywa, sent in to C~S by Jobogo Mirindi
SIX Ugandan poachers were killed on Christmas eve after a shoot-out with officials of the wildlife authorities protecting Park Virunga in the DR Congo.
In a separate incident, an unnamed soldier suspected to have rebel links was also arrested in the park.
Moses Mapesa, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) head, said the heavily-armed poachers fled after a fruitless attempt.
He said UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) anti-poaching team in the park liaised with their counterparts in Congo and sought their arrest.
The poachers, armed with automatic rifles, responded with gunfire when they encountered the Congolese wildlife officials, prompting them to shoot back.
Mapesa warned poachers and fugitives, saying it was no longer possible to kill animals with impunity.
DRC’s Park Virunga is a protected area and is only separated from Queen Elizabeth Park by the Uganda-Congo border.
Ends
You can also read the article online at:
http://www.newvision.co.ug/detail.php?mainNewsCategoryId=8&newsCategoryId=18&newsId=472929
Lion Research
Many thanks for your time and help with the lion research project. I am attaching an updated questionnaire.
I feel it is important to explain to people what this research is for, as I understand not everyone will be happy answering questions. As the project has had time to evolve since I last wrote to you I shall outline again what I am doing. I hope this is helpful:
I am a researcher with an international non-governmental organization called Born Free Foundation. I am working on an African lion conservation project that is being implemented by Born Free and WildCRU (Oxford University) in order to collate data on 1) instances of human-lion conflict, such as predation on livestock and attacks on humans 2) instances involving the use and trade in lion parts and 3) instances of lion hunting, either legal (e.g trophy/sport) or illegal. The information will be collated into a lion database already developed by Born Free and be used to map the location in all African countries where lion killings and/or trade are occurring and on what scale. Our end goal is to objectively prioritise the allocation of funding to areas where maximum benefit can be gained for conservation of the species.
The project has involved setting up a lion monitoring database. I am recording incidences of lion killings that are reported in all relevant African countries. This may involve lion killings due to human conflict, hunting for commercial or subsistence reasons (legal and illegal) and trade. I need to know as much information as possible for each incidence to enable the database to be built on good quality data. Eventually the database will serve as a tool that can be used to monitor the level of lion conflict issues and trade.
Is it possible to receive any sort of reports that may exist on incidences involving lions that have occurred in the last couple of years? To learn of incidences and receive details surrounding those incidences will be of great value to our research at Born Free. I have attached a questionnaire detailing the sort of information that would be useful, but equally I would be happy to receive reports and pull out the information myself.
The questionnaire is very detailed and even small amounts of information on an adhoc basis would be useful.
I saw from the Game Rangers Association website what your objectives and conservation work is and thought my research fitted in with that.
I would be grateful for any time you can donate to answer my queries and look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Penny Morris, Research Assistant, Lion Conservation Project, penny@bornfree.org.uk
Born Free Foundation, http://www.bornfree.org.uk/> www.bornfree.org.uk, http://www.bornfree.org.uk/ , tel: +44 (0) 1403 240 170, fax: +44 (0) 1403 327 838
KEEP WILDLIFE IN THE WILD
For those of you who are able and prepared to fill in the form it is available from me - Ed
POSITION(s) AVAILABLE
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT - Red List Assistant
Duty station: IUCN Species Programme, Cambridge, UK, Reporting to: Red List Officer
Expected start date: January 2006, Duration: Nine-month contract initially, with possibility of extension
Work percentage: Full-time
Characteristic Duties
* Coordinate the European component of the IUCN Global Mammal Assessment project. Assist with the organization of the GMA European mammal workshop.
* Organize assessment and training workshops as required.
* Obtain and/or prepare the necessary documentation required for the species assessments.
* Assist in the databasing of the assessment information using the SIS Data Entry Module (DEM).
* Check all the assessment information is of an appropriate standard for inclusion in the IUCN Red List.
* Liaise closely with Specialist Groups, Red List Authorities and other experts as required.
* Plan and undertake desk-based scientific research for specific contracts.
* Analyse all the data and prepare appropriate reports or documents for publication.
* Prepare other products, e.g. web based or CD-ROM, for specific projects.
* Help respond to general queries concerning particular assessments and the Red List Programme.
* Help with the day-to-day running of the office.
* Any other duties as required from time to time.
Specific
The duties and responsibilities of the post fall into three categories:
technical support to the programme activities including the development of specific projects;
maintenance of the electronic database and distribution maps, and administration duties related to specific projects.
Technical support
* Help with specific analyses of the Red List data.
* Help with IUCN Red List launches, including updating the web site and responding to media enquiries.
* Assist with the initiative to increase the taxonomic coverage of the IUCN Red List.
* Respond to requests for information and assistance from varied sources ranging from the general public to governmental and intergovernmental officials.
Database maintenance
* Collate, check and enter information submitted for the Red List into the database.
* Liaise with the Species Information Service Manager and DEM Support person about database matters.
Administration duties
* Help with meeting logistics.
* Provide general support with regards to arranging travel bookings, photocopying, etc.
* Assist with other office administrative duties as and when required.
The Programme Assistant will work primarily with the Global Mammal Assessment (GMA) project to coordinate the compilation of data on European mammal species in order to produce a Red List of European Mammals. The assessment process will include the gathering and filtering of information from the literature and from experts both in and outside of the SSC network. The Programme Assistant will also coordinate the process to map species' distributions using a Geographical Information System (GIS) and following an agreed set of protocols for the mapping. The Programme Assistant will work on reviewing all the data that support species assessments using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. The Programme Assistant will also be responsible for analyzing European mammal assessment data and producing a final report on the status of mammals in Europe.
The Programme Assistant will also be involved in other regional projects (e.g., the Mediterranean Species Assessments), and training and assessment workshops.
Additionally, the Programme Assistant will help review contributions to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This includes integrating and reviewing data from IUCN/SSC Specialist Groups and from Global Species Assessment workshops. Other responsibilities include organizing data, integrating work with the Red List Programme staff team, helping to organize and plan workshops, and assisting with analytical outputs.
In addition to duties specific to the GMA and the Cambridge Office, the Programme Assistant will often work in close collaboration with Species Programme staff at IUCN HQ in Gland, with Species Programme staff based in Washington, DC and with members of the SSC network.
REQUIREMENTS
* University degree in Environmental Science.
*An ability to work flexibly and with initiative, both independently and as part of the Species Programme team, including with volunteer networks and colleagues outside of Cambridge.
* Proficiency with computer software applications, including word processing, Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping, databases, spreadsheets and the internet.
* Good communication skills including excellent verbal skills, both written and spoken English. A good understanding of Spanish and/or French and other European language skills would be an advantage.
* A personal commitment to species conservation.
APPLICATIONS
Interested candidates should submit (preferably by email and at the latest by 19 December 2005) their curriculum vitae, a covering letter in English, and the names and contact details of three referees (including one recent employer) to:
Human Resources Officer, Human Resources Management Group, The World Conservation Union (IUCN), Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 999 0339, Email: jobapplications@iucn.org
Jean-Christophe Vié, Ph.D., Deputy Coordinator, Species Programme, IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Rue Mauverney, 28, CH-1196 Gland – Switzerland, Tel: +41 22 999 0208 Fax: +41 22 999 0015, Email: jean-christophe.vie@iucn.org, Web: http://iucn.org/themes/ssc/
Tailpiece-
THE AUSSIE BARBECUE SEASON
When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:
ROUTINE
The woman buys the food.
The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.
Here comes the important part:
THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.
MORE ROUTINE....
The woman goes inside to organise the plates and cutlery.
The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.
Important again:
THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.
MORE ROUTINE...
The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces and brings them to the table.
After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
And most important of all:
Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off." And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.....
Matter of Fact
This is an electronic newsletter of the Game Rangers' Association of Africa. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Association, nor of the Editor. This is intended to be an exchange of news snips, ideas and communication between members. Newsletter content may be copied and re-distributed without authorisation. Correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at dyunnie@xsinet.co.za