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The Committee, in the presence of the Minister and Deputy Minister of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and senior officials of the Department was briefed on the state of wildlife crime in SA. The comprehensive presentation looked at the role of the Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs), green scorpions and the Department in the space of enforcement, monitoring and compliance for wildlife crime. The briefing covered national capacity building programmes, international and regional engagements, challenges to be addressed before discussing species of national concern which included reptiles, birds, predators and cycads. Also included in the species of national concern were rhinos where the briefing specifically focused on integrated strategic management, managing rhino populations, compulsory interventions, national, regional and international collaborations, long term sustainability interventions and the committee of inquiry which was set-up to explore the possibility of legalising the possible trade of rhino horn or not.

The Committee then engaged in robust discussion with the Minister on the state of wildlife in SA questioning the capacity of the green scorpions, training to deal with the enforcement and prosecution issues of wildlife crime, the Department’s view on canned lion hunting and habitat loss. Many of the questions were particularly related to rhino and poaching issues where discussion was held on the details of the committee of inquiry – public funds spent on meetings and workshops and community involvement in the committee. Other points were asked around what private owners and the private sector was doing in terms of fighting poaching, success of the various international engagements especially in reducing demand management in consumer states, border security, translocation of rhino and transit routes for the movement of horn.