Pretoria – South Africa’s Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros is starting to bear fruit, with a recent report showing that the country has turned the tide on rhino poaching.
Acting Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, on Thursday, said Cabinet has welcomed the feedback on the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros, which Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa tabled on Sunday, 8 May.
Since the beginning of this year alone, 206 alleged poachers have been arrested. Between April 2015 and March 2016, there were 49 finalised cases involving 103 accused. Eighty of the accused were convicted, resulting in a conviction rate of 78%.
The Integrated Strategic Management Approach was adopted by Cabinet in August 2014, which saw the Security Cluster implementing a multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral intervention to protect rhino in South Africa.
African governance under the spotlight
Meanwhile, Cabinet welcomed the recently held 2016 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Africa Regional Meeting, which was hosted by South Africa under the theme ‘Open Government for Sustainable Development in Africa’ from 5 to 6 May 2016.
The gathering comes seven months after South Africa became the Lead Chairperson of the OGP. This regional summit was the biggest OGP regional summit ever organised by the OGP.
Tourism Indaba
Cabinet also noted the successful hosting of the 2016 Tourism Indaba in Durban KwaZulu-Natal, which finished on Monday, 9 May. 1 047 exhibitors from 18 African countries and 1 856 buyers from across the globe participated in the indaba.
This year, the indaba hosted 3 000 more meetings than last year. In total, 14 000 business meetings took place over the three days, presenting a significant economic benefit potential. The event was also attended by 575 national and international journalists.
The indaba focused on the industry's small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) showcasing products and services from promising small travel businesses. Seventy enterprises gave workshops on how to access the market and grow.
“The indaba has bolstered the role SMMEs play in the economic development of both developed and developing countries in growing the tourism sector. Unlocking the potential of SMMEs is one of the critical job drivers in the Nine-Point Plan that will grow and transform the economy and create jobs,” said Minister Mapisa-Nqakula. – SAnews.gov.za
