THE custodians of KwaZulu-Natal's wildlife have been caught rhino-poaching.
Six staff members of the KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo Wildlife have been implicated in two separate cases of poaching pertaining to incidents at the Umfolozi and Emakho-sini Ophathe Heritage Park last year.
The incidents surfaced on Monday when MEC for the environment and agriculture Lydia Johnson responded to the DA during a parliamentary session.
The DA has accused the organisation, a provincial parastatal, of covering up the arrests and suspensions that followed the incidents, saying "the entire incident has been swept under the carpet by both KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo and senior conservation authorities in the province".
KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo spokesperson Maureen Zimu said yesterday it was Ezemvelo investigations that led to the unearthing of the poachers.
She said their staff members were involved in two separate incidents at two of the parks in the province.
In the Emakhosini Ophathe Heritage Park incident, three staff members smuggled rhino horns out of the reserve.
They were all fired.
In the Umfolozi incident, three staff members were also caught out. Two of them are facing charges in court, while the third was suspended, Zimu said.
Rangers caught as rhino-poaching syndicate is bust
THE custodians of KwaZulu-Natal's wildlife have been caught rhino-poaching.
Six staff members of the KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo Wildlife have been implicated in two separate cases of poaching pertaining to incidents at the Umfolozi and Emakho-sini Ophathe Heritage Park last year.
The incidents surfaced on Monday when MEC for the environment and agriculture Lydia Johnson responded to the DA during a parliamentary session.
The DA has accused the organisation, a provincial parastatal, of covering up the arrests and suspensions that followed the incidents, saying "the entire incident has been swept under the carpet by both KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo and senior conservation authorities in the province".
KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo spokesperson Maureen Zimu said yesterday it was Ezemvelo investigations that led to the unearthing of the poachers.
She said their staff members were involved in two separate incidents at two of the parks in the province.
In the Emakhosini Ophathe Heritage Park incident, three staff members smuggled rhino horns out of the reserve.
They were all fired.
In the Umfolozi incident, three staff members were also caught out. Two of them are facing charges in court, while the third was suspended, Zimu said.
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