WE asked for black ties to be worn on the evening but when I think of it now, it was a bit ambitious!
Many of our staff had come from far-flung, remote places of this province to receive their awards on this most special of occasions; our annual Staff Excellency Awards.
It’s most definitely the highlight of the year for me. I even rushed back for the event from the Netherlands where I was trying to raise further funds to combat rhino poaching.
Now suits, let along black ties, can be uncomfortable, tight-fitting things that field rangers keep hidden in their wardrobes for a few absolutely essential occasions in their lives.
So I smiled as I watched a number walk a little stiffly up to the podium, while others wore ties and shirts I’m not sure belonged to their jacket and trousers!
I even heard that one senior officer nearly didn’t make the occasion as he was stuck in Mbazwane, of all places, trying to find one to buy!
Colleagues, if you didn’t have an opinion then please let me tell you something. Conservationists are a very special, underestimated brand of people.
This is perhaps one area beyond the Ministry where devotion to profession can be seen at the expense of financial reward.
The saying goes: ‘Money is not everything …but it comes way above whatever comes second!’
Well, that was coined with no reference to the people who cast off comfort and routine to ensure our bio-diversity is nurtured, studied and valued.
I read the award citations carefully that night.
These three caught Basutho’s with guns and hunting dogs at a forlorn pass one misty evening in the Drakensberg and spent the night guarding the suspects till the SAP arrived in the morning; those two had a gunfight and car chase with rhino poachers and captured two of them with their guns and ammunition; another three carried out a similar dangerous task at Tembe Elephant Park; she was lauded as one of South Africa’s leading bio-diversity and environmental impact assessment planners; and he commands what is considered the finest Game Capture Unit in the world.
Vast discipline
Dear readers, I could (and should) go on. But my point is made.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is home to many devoted and committed people – people who most definitely consider money secondary to their profession!
Of course, not every deserving person could be nominated.
Perhaps next year a special mention will be made of our Stewardship staff.
When I gave the opening address at our Contemporary Conservation Practice symposium earlier this month, before hundreds of local, African and international delegates, I was able to ignore the horrors of rhino poaching.
I was able to tell them that through our Stewardship staff and their NGO colleagues, we have brought some additional 100 000ha of private and communal land under a form of conservation protection.
I was able to tell them KZN will be the only province in South Africa that by the end of this financial year, will have complied with central government directives to bring 9% of our land mass under conservation.
Rhino poaching has done our organisation no favours.
Readers, please appreciate that this discipline is vast and we have a great number of outstanding people that fulfil our responsibilities superbly – and very often, way beyond the call of duty.
