Dear Mr Shaik,
I recently had a strange email flash on my screen – to have it immediately disappear. It was an appeal by Professor Rob Slotow requesting people to contribute to the creation of a universally acceptable new elephant management plan. With him on the same platform was Dr Sam Ferreira (of Kruger National Park).
I, too, agree that elephant management in South Africa needs a thorough inspection – and I have called, in writing, to Minister Creecy, for a commission of inquiry into the mis-management of Kruger National Park – the main reason for which is the gross MIS-MANAGEMENT of Kruger’s elephants over the last 50 years. And two of the people most responsible for that mis-management (although there are others, too) are Professor Slotow and Dr Ferreira.
I urge the Minister, therefore (AND her High Level Panel of Experts), to ‘get involved’ in this initiative and to see that the requested “commission of inquiry” be conducted and concluded, before yet more damage is done to the habitats and to the biological diversity of Kruger National Park by such people.
The TGA considers Slotow and Ferreira to be CODE-RED candidates in the elephant management debate (people who should not be allowed to get involved{any more than they are already involved} in elephant management policy-making – let alone that they be allowed to lead such policy-making).
Please pass this opinion on to the Minister for her consideration.
With kind regards
Ron Thomson
