Good day WRSA members, [Lees Afrikaans hier onder]
It is Tuesday, 5 May 2020 and we all hoped that by now, the respective Ministers’ Directives would have been made available to give more clarity on matters that are included in the Regulations for Level 4.
WRSA continuously follows up and the feedback is that there is quite a process for the ministers and/or departments to follow before such directives can be published. For instance, should provinces be the implementing authorities, they also have to be consulted. From what I understand, after the directives were approved by the various departments’ legal services, it must be referred to the economic and legal NATJOINTS committees as well. If this is actually the case, one can understand why it takes a while to get these directives to a point to be published and made known.
Regarding hunting: We receive so many queries on a daily basis as to the requirements from a land owner’s or game farm manager’s side for hunts to be undertaken on the farm. The reality is however, that, other than knowing that hunting is allowed in terms of the Regulations and knowing about the restrictions regarding the traveling across provincial borders, we still need the directives from the Minister, as to exactly what will be required from the land owner and the hunters respectively, to ensure that it is legal in terms of the regulations. We are not even sure about the effects the reference to municipalities and regions in the Regulations might have on this.
Although hunting is included in the Regulations, we expect it to be on a very limited basis. We believe that wildlife ranchers and communities with wildlife, therefore can play a very important role in providing game meat as a healthy protein to the needy through the government’s social grant system, whilst ensuring that it will be economically sustainable for the game rancher as well. The Game Meat Industry Forum forwarded a proposal in this regard to the Chairman of the NATJOINTS Social Impact Task team, and will discuss it further during a ZOOM conference this afternoon.
We also receive many questions regarding live game trade, and of course, everything related thereto, for example movement of wildlife. The relevant Minister’s Directives should also provide clarity on the urgent need to move buffalo for which test results are known and which have been standing in bomas for several weeks now.
Another important directive, is about health & safety in workplaces. WRSA published our email of 30 April with all the attachments on our website www.wrsa.co.za . Please study these documents. Feedback from other agricultural commodities during a ZOOM conference earlier today, is that officials from the Department of Health visit businesses and farms to ensure that everything is happening according to the directives.
I am sorry that WRSA cannot in this stage provide more definite answers to the many questions we received on a daily basis, especially regarding hunting and everything related to live game trade. We will only be able to do so once the directives are known. We will inform all our members, as soon as we receive those.Feedback to all who participated in our survey on the impact of COVID-19 on the wildlife ranching industry: It is quite a job to analyse all the information received and to put together a report which will clearly indicate the tremendous impact of COVID-19 on wildlife ranching. We hope to release that very soon.
WRSA staff members are still available to assist and support our members at all times. You can still call our landline number (012-335-6994). Alternatively, you can email pa@wrsa.co.za who will forward it to the responsible staff member.
In the meantime, stay safe!
Regards,
Adri
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Goeiedag WRSA-lede,
Dit is Dinsdag 5 Mei 2020 en ons het almal gehoop dat die onderskeie ministers se regulasies reeds beskikbaar sou wees om meer duidelikheid te verskaf oor sake wat in die regulasies vir vlak 4 ingesluit is..
WRSA volg dit voortdurend op en die terugvoer is dat dit nogal ’n omvattende proses is wat die ministers en/of departemente moet volg voordat sulke regulasies gepubliseer kan word. As provinsies byvoorbeeld die uitvoeringsowerhede is, moet hulle ook geraadpleeg word. Nadat die regulasies deur die verskillende regsdienste van die verskillende departemente goedgekeur is, moet dit ook na die ekonomiese en wetlike NATJOINTS-komitees verwys word. As dit in werklikheid die geval is, kan u verstaan waarom dit ’n tydjie duur om hierdie regulasies tot ’n punt te bring waar dit gepubliseer en bekend gemaak kan word.
Wat jag betref: Ons ontvang daagliks soveel navrae oor die vereistes aan ‘n grondeienaar of wildsplaasbestuurder vir jag op die plaas. Die realiteit is egter dat ons, behalwe dat ons weet dat jag toegelaat word ingevolge die regulasies en kennis dra van die beperkings rakende die reis oor provinsiale grense, steeds die minister se regulasies benodig oor presies wat van die grondeienaar en jagters onderskeidelik vereis word om te verseker dat dit wettig plaasvind ingevolge die regulasies. Ons is nie eens seker watter gevolge die verwysing na munisipaliteite en streke in die regulasies, hierop kan hê nie.
Alhoewel jag in die regulasies ingesluit is, verwag ons dat dit op ‘n baie beperkte basis sal wees. Ons glo dat wildboere en gemeenskappe met wilde diere dus ‘n baie belangrike rol kan speel in die verskaffing van wildsvleis as ‘n gesonde proteïen aan die behoeftiges deur die regering se maatskaplike toelaagstelsel terwyl dit ook ekonomies volhoubaar is vir die wildboer. Die Wildsvleisbedryfsforum het ’n voorstel in hierdie verband aan die voorsitter van die NATJOINTS maatskaplike impak taakspan gestuur en sal dit vanmiddag tydens ‘n ZOOM-konferensie bespreek.
Ons ontvang ook baie vrae rakende lewende wildhandel en natuurlik alles wat daarmee verband hou soos bv die verskuiwing van wild. Die betrokke minister se regulasies moet ook duidelikheid gee oor die dringende behoefte om buffels te skuif waarvan toetsresultate alreeds bekend was voor die grendelperiode en wat reeds ’n paar weke in bomas staan.
’n Ander belangrike voorskrif is oor gesondheid en veiligheid in werkplekke. WRSA het ons e-pos van 30 April met al die aanhangsels op ons webwerf www.wrsa.co.za gepubliseer. Bestudeer asseblief hierdie dokumente. Terugvoering van ander landboukommoditeite tydens ‘n ZOOM-konferensie vroeër vandag is dat amptenare van die departement van gesondheid, besighede en plase besoek om te verseker dat alles volgens die regulasies gebeur.
Ek is jammer dat WRSA op hierdie stadium nie duideliker antwoorde kan gee op die vele vrae wat ons daagliks ontvang nie, veral met betrekking tot jag en alles wat verband hou met lewende wildhandel. Ons sal dit eers kan doen wanneer die regulasies bekend is. Sodra ons dit ontvang, sal ons al ons lede in kennis stel.
Terugvoer aan almal wat aan ons opname deelgeneem het oor die impak van COVID-19 op die wildboerdery: Dit is ’n omvattende taak om al die inligting wat ontvang is te ontleed en ’n verslag saam te stel wat die geweldige impak van COVID-19 op wildboerdery duidelik sal aandui. Ons hoop om dit binnekort vry te stel.
WRSA personeellede is nog steeds beskikbaar om ons lede te alle tye te help en by te staan. U kan nog steeds ons landlynnommer skakel (012-335-6994). Alternatiewelik, kan u e-pos stuur aan pa@wrsa.co.za wat dit na die verantwoordelike personeellid sal stuur.
Bly intussen veilig!
Groete,