Parliament's portfolio committee on water and environmental affairs is holding public hearings on possible solutions to combat rhino poaching today. 

Eleven rhino have been killed in South Africa since the start of the year, with 448 killed last year.  Yolan Friedman, CEO of Endangered Wildlife Trust, has challenged South Africans to think about why the plight of the rhino has captrued hearts and minds, while other species are as perscecuted.  She points out that if the same number of wild dogs were killed, the population would be dessimated.

South African citizens could face penalties of up to ten years in prison, or a R10 million fine, for issuing any information that may be construed as a “severe weather or pollution-related warning” without written permission from the Weather Service.

The prohibition on making pollution-related warnings without official consent is also absurd.

The NGOs that work in highly polluted communities such as the South Durban basin, Secunda and Sasolburg perform excellent work monitoring pollution that supplements the work of the state. They also hold the state accountable for compliance action when pollution events from big polluters such as refineries occur, and warn affected people to take precautions to prevent exposure.

The South African National Parks (SANParks) and the City of Cape Town are concerned about the growing trend of defacing and disfiguring the natural coastline by stacking rocks to form structures in Kommetjie beaches.

This practice has been noted from the boardwalk at the end of Nerina Road and southwards to Slangkop Lighthouse.

In a joint statement the City and SANParks appealed to members of the public to refrain from this practice as it produces a hazardous environment for beach visitors.

South African National Parks announced that to date, 405 rhinos have been poached throughout the country this year.

According to SanParks, the hardest hit areas have been the Kruger National Park, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

From 2009 to 2010, the incidence of poaching rose by 173 percent and from 2008 to 2009 there was a 47 percent increase.

The number of arrests increased from the previous year by approximately 27.3% to 210, from 165 in 2010.

In a bid to reduce rhino poaching, one of the initiatives introduced included the establishment of an interim Wildlife Crime Reaction Unit (NWCRU) to investigate rhino-related crimes in cooperation with SANPARKS, the South African Police Service, Conservation Authorities, National Prosecuting Authority and the Defence Force.