The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Edna Molewa, has welcomed the opening of the Skukuza Regional Court in the Kruger National Park.

“The opening of the Regional Court is one of the plethora of measures being taken in terms of the Integrated Strategic Management approach to combat rhino poaching.  Having a Regional Court in Skukuza will ensure that the case turnaround times for rhino poaching and related cases are expedited thus making a significant contribution to tackling the illicit trade in rhino horn and any other related activites,” said the Minister.

Rhino poaching has been declared a National Priority Crime, and government continues to work as a team in the implementation of the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros. This is a multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary approach involving Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the South African National Parks (SANParks), the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Defence (as a leader of the SANDF) the South African Police Service (SAPS) and its Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) also known as the Hawks, the State Security Agency (SSA), the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, as well as the provincial conservation authorities.

The court was opened by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and has been operational since 7 March 2017.  The periodical court was officially inaugurated on 19 April 2017 and sits once a week.

 

Issued by Department of Environmental Affairs