The DA is astonished to learn that the Chairperson and another member of the Rhino Horn Trade Committee passed State Security Agency (SSA) vetting, given their records.

Nana Mangomola recently resigned as Vice Chairperson from the National Gambling Board after being suspended by Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies, (fin24 - 25 January 2015).  Her resignation came just weeks before a forensic report into alleged misconduct by board members was due to be handed to the DTI.  The allegations included the Auditor-General’s findings that board members had breached public finance rules and served beyond the expiry of their terms.

Mr. Lourence Mogakane, the Chairperson of the National Committee of People & Parks Programme was fired in 2005 as the Financial Director of the Bohlabela District Municipality after a special disciplinary committee found him guilty of gross misconduct and financial mismanagement charges.  Failing to prove his qualifications, failing to disclose his business interests, poor work performance and unlawful salary advancements were amongst the findings.

During and ANN7 TV interview on Wednesday evening Environmental Affairs Minister, Edna Molewa, said of the committee panelists: “We were screening them through the SSA … we have it in writing”.  She then continued to say that if the SSA had found something wrong with any of the panelists she would have been informed.

This concession by the Minister begs the questions:

• When was the request made by Minister Molewa to the SSA to vet the panel members and what was the vetting criteria? 
• Did the SSA have enough time to vet properly and was previous misconduct, breach of ethics or criminality not part of the criteria?

The Minister is on record saying the panel consists of industry experts, academics, scientists and economists but it is unclear how these two fit the bill. Clearly the ANC’s inclination toward cadre deployment and jobs for pals trumps the cause of our endangered rhino’s. By appointing such individuals the Minister, and this process, has lost further credibility.

The rhino poaching debacle is already thick with distrust, greed, suspicion, manipulation and the involvement of highly organised crime syndicates.

The people considering trade in rhino horn should, surely, be conscientious and above reproach.  The fate of the South African rhino population and that of the world is in their hands.  Mogakane and Mangomola taint the panel and discredit its processes.
 
The DA will submit parliamentary questions to the Department of Environmental Affairs and the SSA to find out how Mogakane and Mangomola made the cut.  We call on the Minister to do the only responsible thing: remove both Mogakane and Mangomola from the panel.

 

Issued by DA