This memorandum of demands is addressed to: Honourable Minister Dion George, Honourable Minister Jon Steehuisen, Honourable Minister Anton Bredell, Honourable Minister Ivan Meyer, Honourable Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews and Chairperson Dave Bryant
The Climate Justice Movement and the Co-Operative and Policy Alternative Center and the South African Food Sovereignty Campaign are calling upon Parliament to adopt the revised Food Sovereignty Act No. 1 of 2024 and Feed Ourselves Through Food Sovereignty Policy as comprehensive frameworks to address the systematic inequalities and climate vulnerabilities that threaten our communities.
WAPFSA stands united in calling for the immediate recognition of these demands, critical to ending hunger, thirst, and climate harm and protecting nature. The future of South Africa’s food system depends on a deep and triple-just transition that enters on the needs of people and the web of life. This is crucial as a cornerstone of the Climate Justice Charter and Climate Emergency Social Contract for all in South Africa. United we can give an emancipatory future to South Africa the planet and future generations.
The annual African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) is Safari Club International (SCI) premier activity in Africa.
The annual meeting, which is being facilitated by Stellenbosch University’s African Wildlife Economy Institute (AWEI) brings together professional hunting associations, hunting and conservation organisations, and range state government officials. The meeting will take place in Stellenbosch from 28 Oct – 1 Nov 2024.
Members of the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa, have raised concern that Stellenbosch University is adopting a dangerous one sided approach to wildlife conservation.
READ the letter written to Stellenbosch University:
A volunteer based, registered non-profit organisation called Kogelberg Villages Environmental Trustees (KVET) whose mission it is to ensure the humane management of the Pringle Bay baboon troop and to prevent human-baboon conflict has publicly been accused of taming the Pringle Bay baboons.
A study carried out in Pringle Bay by a primatologist has confirmed that the Kogelberg Villages Environmental Trustees KVET BIOS were never witnessed attempting to influence the baboon troop movement in Pringle Bay. According to the report, the baboon’s movement in the village was minimally, if at all, influenced by the presence of either the KVET BIOS or the Overstrand Municipal baboon monitors.
The rhetoric expressed by some residents in Pringle Bay that KVET has negatively influenced the behaviour of the baboon troop in Pringle Bay is therefore false and deliberately misleading.
Analysed data, collected over a period of more than a year also indicates that there has been a reduction in the number of so-called house raids by the baboons who live in Pringle Bay in comparison to when the baboons were managed by a company contracted by the municipality called Human Wildlife Solutions.
Despite the condemnation of over three thousand participants and supporters of a petition, the human-baboon conflict in Pringle Bay is once again being addressed through short-term mitigation and incident preparedness measures, which includes the deployment of deterrents and or possible lethal control methods. Lethal because the shooting of baboons with paint ball markers is indiscriminate with no regard to lactating females and or infants and juveniles.
This approach, as we have learnt over time and past failed attempts, will only tackle the symptoms, but not the underlying causes. As an elephant ecologist once said, treating human-wildlife conflict with deterrents is akin to treating brain tumours only with Aspirin.
Wildfires, the reduction, fragmentation, and degradation of baboon habitat around Pringle Bay in the Western Cape of South Africa has meant that baboons are losing the space and the resources they need to survive. This has increased the visibility of the baboons in the village, which has for some residents developed into a competition between themselves and the baboons, a situation which is affecting the well-being of all. Some residents are reportedly experiencing negative impacts of a perceived quality of life which is directly eroding their tolerance of the conservation of the baboons which has led to the cruel deterrent control methods currently being deployed on the baboons Pringle Bay.
On Saturday 24th August, at 12 noon it was reported that Joey, the alpha male had been shot killed in Pringle Bay.
Joey’s death described as victim of violence, ignorance and intolerance. A large reward has been offered for information. An advocate and watching brief has been appointed to investigate the senseless killing.
The Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT) consisting of representatives from SANParks, CapeNature, and the City of Cape , called on communities from baboon-affected areas, stakeholders, and organisations from the South Peninsula with a direct interest in baboon management to nominate representatives to serve on the Cape Peninsula Baboon Advisory Group.
Formally constituted groups and organisations with a direct and special interest in the Southern Peninsula’s baboon population were encouraged to submit nominations. The closing date is 31st July 2024.
Members of the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum Nominated two member organisations:
On the 24th July 2024, this submission was made by the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa (WAPFSA) in response to the draft Biodiversity Management Plan for Black Rhinoceros (Diceros Bicornis) and White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium Simum) in South Africa published under Government Notice 4980 in Government Gazette 50829 of 18 June 2024.
WAPFSA was established as a vehicle to engage with government on wild life issues, and to put wild animals onto the political agenda based on ethical and compassionate conservation and harmonious coexistence within nature.
WAPFSA is a civil society network currently consisting of twenty eight (28) South African-based protection, conservation, environmental and community organisations that share certain common values, expertise and objectives.
WAPFSA’s activities are underpinned by an understanding that the inter-relationship between environmental protection, animal well-being, conservation and the values of dignity, compassion and humaneness are foundational to our constitutional democracy. WAPFSA also advocate for the concepts of UBUNTU, the intrinsic value of wild animals and an integrative policy approach.
Collectively, WAPFSA offers the South African government, a body of expertise from scientific, animal welfare, rights, social and climate justice, indigenous knowledge, public advocacy sectors and environmental law experts.
Given all the issues raised in this submission, WAPFSA’s recommendations are:
Close the domestic market for rhino horn by imposing a moratorium.
Conduct on-going mandatory audits of private and state-owned rhino horn stockpiles.
Strengthen and Improve law enforcement and operations to dismantle rhino horn trafficking syndicates.
Cooperate with all relevant and national foreign authorities.
Shut down all facilities that breed rhino for any purpose other than solely for conservation.
South Africa must abandon the idea of trading in rhino horn and encourage other Range States to do the same.
Rather than banking on the extinction of rhinos, South Africa must embrace rhino horn stockpile destruction as an anti-poaching, anti-trafficking, and demand reduction tool to meaningfully contribute to the ethical protection of rhino populations in Africa and Asia and to mitigate their extinction. Doing so will send a strong signal that South Africa is firmly committed to preserving and protecting rhinos, and to truly ensuring their welfare and well-being.
By virtue of the precautionary approach, South Africa, and other CITES States Parties must act in the best interest of the conservation of the species and urgently uplist rhinos currently on Appendix II to Appendix I.
WAPFSA have sent an urgent letter to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy with regard to the permit that was issued by LEDET to shoot to kill twenty baboons in the Blyde River Botanical Reserve in Limpopo Province. The permit is valid for one month and commences today, according to correspondence that we have received a hunter has been commissionedand he will be using a silencer.
WAPFSA addressed an urgent cease and desist letter to the Limpopo Department: Economic Development, Environment and Tourism today. Please download the letter:
The WAPFSA cease and desist letter sent this morning refers:
We have been advised that the permit to shoot and kill a troop of baboons in their natural range, has been issued by the LEDET. The culling exercise over the period of one month will be starting today 6th May 2024 at the Blyde River Botanical Reserve in the Limpopo Province. This permit has been apparently issued to reduce the baboons’ presence and so-called destructive nature, and a hunter has been appointed for the task.
We believe that it is the onus of the permitting authority to verify if the conditions to issue a permit exist and are legitimate, particularly when such issuing can have so grave consequences on the environment and the well-being of animals.
Please confirm that all procedures have been put in place and you have verified that:
a. There is effective proof of the so-called damage the baboons have caused. b. Methods used to discourage baboons from entering the residences in the aforementioned botanical reserve have been unsuccessfully applied; c. Photographic and video evidence of the destruction that these baboons have caused, have been provided to LEDET; d. Photographic evidence that baboon-proof measures and all mitigation procedures have been unsuccessfully put in place by the Reserve management, have been provided to LEDET before LEDET granted the permit.
Providing a permit to kill baboons because humans are inconvenienced is no legal basis upon which to issue such a permit. Kindly confirm the above.
The Wildlife Animal Protection Forum (WAPFSA), is a forum consisting of thirty South African organisations that are all actively involved with the protection and conservation of wild animals and the natural environment in South Africa. The members share a body of expertise from vastly different fields including, but not limited to, science, the environment, the law, animal welfare, human and non-human rights, social justice, the climate, the ocean, the indigenous perspective and public advocacy.
For the reasons expressed below in this document, WAPSA members firmly oppose the Adaptive Management Plan to move the Pringle Bay baboon troop out of the urban area, announced by the Overstrand Municipality on the 29th of April 2024.
In particular, WAPFSA opposes the reintroduction of weapons as a means to manage the baboons in Pringle Bay, because there are good reasons to believe that it will have a negative impact on the welfare of baboons and will not solve the problems.
WAPFSA proposes that the municipality adopt a different approach, focusing on tackling the factors drawing baboons into residential areas, as detailed further below.
In 2021 the residents of Pringle Bay highlighted the following points for change, these points are still applicable today:
No resident wants the baboons in their houses, but they also don’t want baboons constantly harassed, chased and shot at.
A shepherding approach needs to be followed by all monitors. The previous system used in Pringle Bay by the PBRA/PBBAG was an excellent method of managing the baboons. The monitors were polite and loved the baboons. They also notified residents by blowing whistles, clapping and ringing doorbells when thebaboons were in the area.
The infringement of private property needs to stop. Pringle Bay residents are tired of seeingbattles intheir gardens. Plots are crossed on foot by monitors, damaging sensitive fynbos.
Waste management needs to be addressed. Baboon-proof bins must be used by residents.The public bins scattered all over the Overstrand need to be fixed and maintained to prevent baboon access. Holidaymakers need to be made aware by rental agents and/or homeowners of the baboons. Homeowners also need to ensure any waste is disposed of in the correct way, e.g. taken to the dump, not left on the side of the road.
Signage at holiday homes, restaurants and shops must be erected. The message should be clear: no feeding of the baboons, no illegal dumping.
Newresidentsshouldbemadeawarebyestateagentsthattheyliveinabiosphereandithas animals that we need to protect. An information welcome pack should be provided to all new residents, and new builds and placed in the rental properties for the educational value it can provide regarding the presence of baboons in the area.
Houses must be baboon-proofed and access by baboons prevented. Special groups within the village should be set up to advise new residents on baboon proofing, etc. Building plan approval should be conditional on the inclusion of baboon proofing.
Shop owners in the central business district should display baboon information in their windows and have information pamphlets available to the public. Baboon-proofed bins and baboon safety doors should be requirements for all business owners.
Conclusion
WAPSA Members Oppose the Adaptive Management Plan to Move Pringle Bay Troop Out of the Urban Area Announced by the Overstrand Municipality on the 29th April 2024
WAPFSA hereby officially opposes the reintroduction of weapons as means to manage the baboons in Pringle Bay.
WAPFSA is hereby officially appealing for the immediate cessation of the anti-baboon rhetoric and the dangerous disinformation campaign that is being allowed to perpetuate on social media, which is fuelling the aggressive behaviour of some of the men in Pringle Bay.
KVET has conducted meetings with the South African Police Services and a criminal attorney and can confirm the activities that they are carrying out in Pringle Bay are not illegal. KVET is not collecting data on the residents of Pringle Bay, they are not hindering or obstructing the Overstrand Municipality employees in any manner whatsoever.
KVET is carrying out valuable community work in Pringle Bay at no cost to the Overstrand ratepayer.
A number of baboon experts, who have vast documented experience working with the Pringle Bay troop, have offered their learned opinions about the current baboon behaviour in Pringle Bay. A non-violent, transparent management strategy agreed upon by all stakeholders must be sought so that the troop can safely enter their sleep sites.
The Municipality should be encouraged to rebuild the waste dump site at no cost to the ratepayers and to make sure that residents baboon-proof their homes and the waste bins.
The Members of the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa addressed an urgent letter to the Chief Executive Officer of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency with regard to their concerns about permits issued by the MTPA which would enable the cruel, indiscriminate and unscientific management of vervet monkeys in Mpumalanga.
GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT MPUMALANGA PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES ENABLING THE CRUEL, INDISCRIMINATE AND UNSCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT OF VERVET MONKEYS
The Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa (WAPFSA), a collective of thirty organisations, has a history of interest in the protection and conservation of wild animals in South Africa, sharing a body of expertise from different sectors including but not limited to scientific, environmental, legal, welfare, rights, social justice, climate, indigenous and public advocacy backgrounds.
Members of WAPFSA are also part of the Ministerial Wildlife Well-being Forum, instituted by the Department of Forestry, Fishery and the Environment (DFFE) in May 2023, by special request of Minister Barbara Creecy, in order to consult with organisations focused on best practices for the protection of wildlife.
The NEM:BA amendments came into effect on 30 June 2023. The Honourable Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, is currently in the process of implementing a legislative mandate to prohibit activities that may have a negative impact on the well-being of wild animals and to make regulations in relation to the well-being of wild animals, as per Section 2 of NEM:BA.
In the aforementioned section of NEM:BA, it is specified that all procedural activities that constitute biodiversity management, conservation and sustainable use of wild animals, including the issuing of permits, must consider the well-being of animals.
Section 9A of NEM:BA in particular, refers to any activity where there is reasonable evidence of a potential negative impact on animal well-being, using the wording “that may have a negative impact” which means that it is not required to have absolute proof of a negative impact to prohibit any activity. It implies that a precautionary approach, in line with the NEMA principles, must prevail.
WAPFSA members wrote a letter to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment on the 14th December 2023 requesting the inclusion six indigenous non-hum primate species in the South African Threatened or Protected Species Listing.
It is the Minister’s discretion to list species that fall into the criteria in Section 56 (1) (d): protected species. Such species do not necessarily have to be mentioned in other conservation lists such as the IUCN List or any other external lists. Provided that the proposed species fall into the description of those categories, they can be added to the TOPS list.
This followed the formal request from WAPFSA members on the 21st November 2023.
