SUE MACLENNAN
“The future is young, and it’s female.”
Most of the field rangers at Thomas Baines Nature Reserve for the celebration of World Rangers Day were under 30, and a convincing proportion were women, supporting the words of Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency CEO Vuyani Dayimani.
Later, MEC Nonkqubela Pieters said that since September 2023, the parks agency had welcomed 22 new field rangers into its ranks, seven of them women.
Baviaanskloof Reserve field ranger Mirranda Langklaas delivered a heartfelt and stirring tribute to her profession in the form of a praise poem.
World Ranger Day (July 31) is an initiative of the International Ranger Federation to commemorate rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the work they do to protect the planet’s natural treasures and cultural heritage.
This year’s World Ranger Day theme is “30 by 30”: at the 2022 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, a Global Biodiversity Framework was agreed upon by world leaders and decision-makers. One of the goals is that at least 30% of the planet is effectively conserved and managed by 2030 (“30 by 30”).
The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency’s operations are divided into three clusters — biodiversity and heritage, game management and recreation, and marine and coastal. There were awards in each cluster for field ranger of the year, bravery and team of the year.
The overall ECPTA field ranger of the year award went to Thembile Gxagxisa, from game management and recreation.
There were two recipients of the CEO’s award: Lavisa Bushula, from game management and recreation, and Thandeka Qhuba, from the marine and coastal cluster. Receiving special recognition were two retired veterans — William Wewe, whose career spanned 1986 to 2017 and whose last posting was at Tsolwana, and Phumlani Tshangela, who started his career in 1988, completing his service at Dwesa.
While Dayimani spoke about the attractive career paths available to young people through the agency, he also emphasised the value of old-school rangers, including veterans such as Wewe and Tshangela. He said their wisdom was essential to provide context for the research-based knowledge that young field rangers brought to their work. “Patience, persistence and a culture of not giving up is what distinguishes someone who stays the course for a lifetime,” Dayimani said.
In addition to their extraordinary skills of observation, integrity was a core quality among the agency’s top field rangers. “We have achieved our ninth successive clean audit,” Dayimani said.
“That is because you remain accountable for our assets even when no-one is watching. When you choose to do the right thing, even when you are alone and no-one else sees, that’s called integrity.” SANParks frontier region general manager Norman Johnson spoke about the “protector” role of field rangers. “Your work of protecting biodiversity serves the people of SA, the continent and the world.
“When something happens to anyone in their area of operation, it is field rangers who must collect the body of a poacher, visitor or fellow ranger, and then tell their family. That has a huge impact on their wellbeing,” he said.
Johnson also spoke about the military structure of the profession. “Because of their role as protectors, field rangers must carry firearms: any group that uses a tool like this must have a command structure. “We ask the rangers of ECPTA to respect that, and we salute you all.”
ECPTA board chair and Rhodes University deputy vice-chancellor: research, innovation and strategic partnerships Dr Nomakwezi Mzilikazi delivered the keynote address on behalf of Pieters.
She described the work of field rangers as “nothing short of heroic”. Through Vilikazi, Pieters spoke about the impact of the 2022 awarding of the Rhino Impact Bond to ECPTA.
“Through this innovative funding, ECPTA has enhanced operations in several critical areas that make us proud as the provincial government, including investments made in monitoring rare and endangered species,” Pieters said.
“We are also pleased that the agency has acquired advanced law enforcement equipment, crucial in combating poaching and other illegal activities that threaten biodiversity.”
The World Bank’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development in March 2022 announced the Wildlife Conservation Bond, known as “Rhino Bonds” — “a first-of-its-kind, outcome-based, financial instrument that channels investments to achieve conservation outcomes — measured in this case by an increase in black rhino populations”. The five-year $150m (R2.6bn) sustainable development bond includes a potential performance payment from the Global Environment Facility, which will contribute to protecting and increasing black rhino populations in Addo Elephant National Park and the Great Fish River Nature Reserve.
