Inyathi Park News Mei

The cold weather arrived, indeed confirming that the hunting seasons is here. The bush in most hunting areas are quite thick following the good rains. Hunters will have to work hard to find their quarry.

Structure of newsletter

We start with the new, essential information first, followed by the regular news.

Therefore, members can get up to date with fresh news first and read other information later.

New messages

Waiting period for licences and renewals

In the April newsletter we asked members that had been waiting for a long time to receive their firearm licences, to complete a questionnaire. However, the response was disappointing as we only received 275 completed questionnaires.

The questionnaire is still available on the member administration system. We kindly request members that have been waiting for more than 90 days to receive their competency certificates and/or licences, to complete it.

Follow the link below, sign in on your profile eon the member administration system and complete the questionnaire by Monday, 6 June 2022. We will appreciate your cooperation.

http://secure.sahunters.co.za/SurveyLanding.aspx?entry=ded70784-bc0c-478f-85cc-10d96c2e2a12

Hunting affairs

2.1. Win a Grey rhebok hunt

This is the last opportunity to buy a lottery ticket for R50 that gives you a chance to win a Grey rhebok hunt in the Sutherland region. It includes accommodation for two nights with all meals included. The winner of the second prize can hunt a Blue wildebeest. For more information, click here. Buy your ticket now and support SA Hunters. The closing date for the competition is 18 June 2022.

2.2. Foot and mouth disease

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development published control measures for Foot and Mouth disease that includes certain areas of Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal under the Animal Health Act, Act 35 of 1984. This protocol defines the requirements for the movement of all cloven-hoofed animals, as well as prodcts thereof into the controlled area, within the controlled area and from the controlled area.

A copy of the complete protocol is available here.

KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo

The just issued protocol is applicable to both controlled areas in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

All movement of cloven-hoofed animals or products thereof (excluded Buffalo and Warthog which may not be moved at all) requires a prescribed permit to be applied for.
At most 50 kg meat of production animals (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs) may be moved per vehicle without a permit, provided it is properly packaged, labelled and accompanied by a printed receipt from the supplier.

Persons that transport game meat for own use from the KZN and Limpopo controlled areas, must adhere to the following requirements:

The meat must be for own consumption only.
Only one carcass of cloven-hoofed animals per person accompanying the meat will be allowed
The head, skin, feet, and entrails of the hunted animal must be left behind where it was hunted.
Meat must be portioned, wrapped and clearly labelled with the name of species, place of origin, and the weight of each wrapped package.
The meet must be hung to be drip free.
No restriction will be imposed on fully cooked or “break-dry” meat products irrespective of quantity.
Skulls and skins may only be removed from the controlled area after they had been salted and allowed to dry for at least 28 days.
The application for the required permit must be submitted at least 3 working days in advance of the intended movement. The application for the required permit is vailable on pages 9 and 10 of the protocol.

All applications for permits must be submitted to:

KwaZulu Natal Provinsie Limpopo Provinsie

Dr. CC Meintjes Dr. JJ Mentz

083 273 5797 083 302 1850

fmdpermitskzn@gmail.com fmdpermitslimpopo@gmail.com

2.3. SA Hunters accredited hunting packages

We still have a few of the 42 accredited hunting packages left at reasonable prices. These packages have been made available by our own members and comply with our hunter’s code. View the available hunting packages here.

Book your SA Hunters accredited hunting adventure. Direct queries to Vanessa by vanessa@sahunt.co.za

Indicate which package you are interested in
Indicate your preferred date
Vanessa will verify dates and confirm with hunters
Vanessa will send the hunting destination’s regular price list and rules to hunters
The hunter pays the full price of the hunting package directly to SA Hunters to confirm the booking.
Immediately after the hunt, the hunters will provide feedback of their experience to vanessa@sahunt.co.za

2.4. Hunting of Elephant, Rhinoceros, and Leopard

As we reported last month, the temporary injunction granted in the Humane Society’s court application to forbid the hunting of Elephant, Black rhino, and Leopard, was declared a final interdict. With this move, the Humane Society succeeded in seriously damaging the hunting and wildlife sector in South Africa, causing a loss in income of approximately R300 million of which 60% is used to combat poaching. This is indeed a sad state of affairs.

Constitutional Court judgement in the Fidelity case

We already reported on this judgement in the newsletter distributed last Friday. In general, firearm owners are relieved about this outcome, but we want to caution members not to rejoice quite yet.

The judges of the Constitutional Court provided a unanimous judgement that included a detailed interpretation of certain principles with regard to the Firearms Control Act, i.e.,

When a firearm licences expires, the owner is in illegal possession of the firearm and can be criminally charged with an offence.
The firearm in question should be surrendered to the SAPS (not for destruction, but for safe-keeping) and the owner may apply for a new licence for the firearm.
The applicant must comply with all of the same requirements as any other person that applies for a new licence (not a renewal).
The fact that the owner neglected to renew the firearm licence does not serve as sufficient reason to declare such a person incompetent to own a firearm. The person can only be declared incompetent once he has been tried and found guilty of a crime that leads to a declaration of incompetence.
The Registrar may use his discretion to approve or refuse the application. It might happen that the Registrar regard the firearm owner’ negligence to renew the licence, as sufficient reason to refuse a new application.

Although the judges of the Constitutional Court did not rule on this matter, they provided a detailed argument on the principle, probably for a good reason. Therefore, be careful in your interpretation of the judgement, except that it applies to everyone.

Dedicated hunter and sport shooter status

Members with dedicated hunter and/or sport shooter status have 5 months left to update their activities on the SA Hunters online member administration system. SA Hunters has 16 990 dedicated hunters of which only 6 125 comply with sufficient activities to register. There are 14 048 dedicated sport shooters of which only 3 337 comply with the requirements to retain their status.

They can also use the App which was developed for this purpose to keep track of activities for annual maintenance of dedicated status that ends on 31 October each year.

Branches and Shooting affairs

5.1 Workshop for branch chairpersons

The Board of SA Hunters identified a need to empower new branch chairpersons to continue and expand on the good work of their predecessors at the branches.

A full-day workshop with eight new chairpersons was held at Inyathi Park on 11 May 2022. The purpose of the workshop was to focus on the role of the branch chairperson and the aspects that cultivate participation and a healthy culture. Participants reported that they found the workshop valuable.

The next workshop has been scheduled for 29 June, and the 12 new chairpersons have already been invited. A third workshop is being planned for November 2022 once all the branches had their AGMs.

5.2 President and Inter Branch Team Shooting Competitions

Shottists participating in the President and Inter Branch Team Shooting Competitions at regional level, have until the end of June 2022 to qualify for an invitation to the national competition on 19 and 20 August 2022 at the Meerkatgat shooting range of the Free State Sandveld Branch.

Among the 878 shottists that participated in the President shooting competition, 186 already qualified for the platinum award at regional level. In addition, 146 teams (four shottists per team) participated in the Inter Branch Team Shooting Competition of which eight teams qualified for the Wild Dogs awarded at regional level. Thirty teams (four shottists per team) took part in the Inter Branch Challenge Team Shooting Competition at regional level. Good luck to you all for the events at regional level for the remainder of the 2022.

Conservation news

6.1 Lion Management

Our conservation manager represents the association on the Lion Working Group of SA. We participated on progress with the implementation of the Lion Biodiversity Management Plan this month. It is unlikely that more than 30,000 wild lions currently exist in Africa. It is listed regionally as least concern on the 2016 Red List Assessment and a Threatened and Protected Species (TOPS) in terms of Section 56 (1) of NEMBA. Wild populations only occur in Kruger National Park, Kgalagadi and Mapungubwe National Park. 58 reserves have managed wild populations. Wild lion populations in SA are healthy and growth is only limited due to the lack of available suitable habitat for free ranging populations.

6.2 CITES Stakeholder Meeting

SA Hunters’ response to the listing proposals of stakeholders at the recent stakeholder meeting to discuss South Africa’s position in preparation of the next conference of parties (COP) of CITES in Panama later this year, is available here. Currently, 866 South African plants and 444 animals are listed on CITES, which put specific requirements on SA with regard to trade.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment indicated that Elephant, Black Rhino, Leopard, and Lion will not be discussed at this CoP. The reason given was that South Africa does not yet have a policy position on the way forward with these species. A draft policy is being developed. This is a huge concern given the challenges that landowners and parks experience in relation to these species and the associated impact of trade restrictions. Sustainable trade can significantly contribute to conservation efforts on the ground.

6.3 Springbok Branch support protected environments

The conservation contribution by Springbok Branch was mentioned on the Facebook page of Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development after they had provided financial support for the design and erection of signboards for the Devon Protected Environment (DPE). The DPE is important to conservation in Gauteng because its threatened habitats offer refuge for various threatened species, and its extensive wetland system offers various ecosystem services necessary for human well-being. This is the second time the branch contributed to signage of protected environments.

6.4 Namaqua Branch teaches youth about conservation

The Namaqua Branch at Springbok held a successful workshop at the Goegab Nature Reserve for grade 12 learners from the Okiep High School. Captain Du Toit, conservation coordinator at Namaqua ranch, staff members form the reserve, and the Khaus Department of Social Development at Okiep took the 40 learners to the reserve where they were taught about conservation and the negative impact of the poaching of unique plants in the Namaqualand area. The future of our environment lies in the hands of the youth. Therefore, we are planning to spend more time with the in nature.

6.5 Tuinroete Branch monitors water in rivers

The Board of SA Hunters launched a national project, Water for Life, to create awareness about the integrity of our fresh water resources and the importance of water management in the catchment areas. The pilot project was done with the Tuinroete Branch and a group of children from George. They were introduced to the miniSASS river mouth monitoring method, which they thoroughly enjoyed. They learnt about the impact that land use in the catchment areas have on the quality of water, and that the presence of certain insects indicate the quality of the water in the rivers. This initiative will be implemented at national level soon.

6.6 Tafelberg Branch supports reserve

The Tafelberg Branch donated trail cameras to the Paarl Mountain Reserve to assist with the collection of data about wildlife in the reserve. The cameras contributed in confirming that leopards are present in the reserve. A short video clip about a leopard sighting is available on Facebook at https://fb.watch/dggsEyDmkR/

Commercial news

Pangolin vehicle safes joined as a commercial partner of SA Hunters. They manufacture both handgun and rifle safes for vehicles that comply with the specifications of safes in terms of the Firearms Control Act. Handgun safes come at a standard price whole the price of rifle safes depend on the size. Pangolin prefers to personally install the rifle safes themselves.

Members of SA Hunters qualify for 10% discount on the purchase price of one Pangolin safe. More information is available here: Handgun and Long Rifle safes.

Repeated messages

Photography Club

The photography club is still gaining popularity. Read more about the club, training opportunities and monthly competitions and prizes here. It also provides information about the Photographer of the Year competition.

Special offers

Doctari-knives

The Doctari ivory knife project will end soon. A limited quantity of knives was made with handles from ivory from the Nico van Rooyen collection. There are only 21 knives left. Place your order now for that special Christmas gift, to avoid disappointment.

Pay R5 500 in SA Hunters bank account no 01443990077; branch code 632005 and use the reference Mes and your mobile number. Send proof of payment to admin@sahunt.co.za

Memorial publication

Only copies of the memorial books with the hard covers are still available at R300 per copy.

To order your copy:

Transfer the correct amount (R300 for the ordinary version or R1 000 for leather bound version) in SA Hunters’ bank account at Absa, account number 01443990077.

Use your member number and Book as reference. Check that you enter your member number correctly to ensure that we can process your order

Buck knives

There are only 65 items left in this limited series of 500 Buck knives at R1 000 each. These knives have ivory inlays on the handle with the SA Hunters logo engraved. Transfer R1 000 by EFT into SA Hunters back account at Absa, account number 01443990077. Use your member number and Knipmes as reference. Send proof of payment, your member number and contact details to Realda Goosen at realda@sahunt.co.za

Humansdorp Koöperasie

During June 2022 Humansdorp Koöperasie offers 10% discount on all Hornady products to members of SA Hunters.

Support to members

Many people are still suffering from the economic effects of Covid 19 circumstances. Herewith information about opportunities by members to members.

Quality, dry bushveld firewood available at reasonable price in Pretoria area. More information here.

Membership

Recruit members for commission

SA Members has 44 104 members.

The Board agreed that a member or a branch that recruits ten or more members per year, can earn commission of between R100 to R150 per member. More information is available here.

SA Hunters distributed membership application forms at various dealers. Any member that wants to receive the same material, can enquire with Dorothy Ras by dorothy@sahunt.co.za

The Board also agreed that branches that succeed in resigning up lapsed members, will also benefit from the commission. More information has been sent to Branch chairpersons.