Hot on the heels of the news that the Friends of the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area was shutting down its operation due to “communication problems” with Eastern Cape authorities, comes the disturbing revelation that environmental crime-fighters the Green Scorpions have been hamstrung by constant budget cuts over the years.
This year, the already minuscule budget was slashed to a paltry R1.6m.
The Green Scorpions are a network of environmental enforcement officials from various government departments who tackle environmental crimes and also issue offenders with compliance notices.
The DA’s Jane Cowley says the budget cuts are crippling the vital state entity.
“They are stripping away its capacity to combat ecological crimes effectively,” she said.
“This situation is leaving the doors to the province’s natural resources open to plunder at will.”
The operational budget covers vehicles, equipment, firearms, training, fuel and travel allowances, among other things.
Cowley said the Green Scorpions had an exceptional track record in preventing environmental crimes, especially the poaching of endangered species, but their mandate had become increasingly difficult to achieve in the face of such devastating budget cuts.
Wildlife and Environment Society of SA Eastern Cape chair Dr Gary Koekemoer said the Green Scorpions’ operational budget was woeful considering the importance of protecting the province’s natural resources.
“We need to consider that the criminal syndicates are often well-financed and equipped.
“Against this backdrop, an operational budget of R1.6m seems incredibly inadequate.”
Former Eastern Cape Green Scorpions director Div de Villiers said the declining budget, which hamstrung their effectiveness, was one of the reasons he had resigned.
“You need sufficient budget to be able to acquire and replace basic investigation devices like GPS [global position systems], binoculars and night vision equipment, as well as cameras and drones just to keep up with the criminals.
“Today, you would need an operational budget of at least R5m to cover the basics — R1.6m is ridiculous.”
Protecting our environment is not a “nice-to-do” it’s a “must-do”, not just for future generations, but also the economy of the province.
“To do so, we need these specialised units to monitor and enforce our environmental legislation.”
However, to do their jobs effectively requires money. And a whole lot more than they are currently getting.
Instead of spending a fortune on out-of-town government gatherings that could be hosted for a fraction of the cost at their home base in Bhisho, a good portion of this money could instead be diverted by the provincial authorities to a worthy entity such as the Green Scorpions.
The work they do is priceless.
HeraldLIVE
Slashing of Green Scorpions’ budget is unacceptable
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Image: SANET OBERHOLZER
Hot on the heels of the news that the Friends of the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area was shutting down its operation due to “communication problems” with Eastern Cape authorities, comes the disturbing revelation that environmental crime-fighters the Green Scorpions have been hamstrung by constant budget cuts over the years.
This year, the already minuscule budget was slashed to a paltry R1.6m.
The Green Scorpions are a network of environmental enforcement officials from various government departments who tackle environmental crimes and also issue offenders with compliance notices.
The DA’s Jane Cowley says the budget cuts are crippling the vital state entity.
“They are stripping away its capacity to combat ecological crimes effectively,” she said.
“This situation is leaving the doors to the province’s natural resources open to plunder at will.”
The operational budget covers vehicles, equipment, firearms, training, fuel and travel allowances, among other things.
Cowley said the Green Scorpions had an exceptional track record in preventing environmental crimes, especially the poaching of endangered species, but their mandate had become increasingly difficult to achieve in the face of such devastating budget cuts.
Wildlife and Environment Society of SA Eastern Cape chair Dr Gary Koekemoer said the Green Scorpions’ operational budget was woeful considering the importance of protecting the province’s natural resources.
“We need to consider that the criminal syndicates are often well-financed and equipped.
“Against this backdrop, an operational budget of R1.6m seems incredibly inadequate.”
Former Eastern Cape Green Scorpions director Div de Villiers said the declining budget, which hamstrung their effectiveness, was one of the reasons he had resigned.
“You need sufficient budget to be able to acquire and replace basic investigation devices like GPS [global position systems], binoculars and night vision equipment, as well as cameras and drones just to keep up with the criminals.
“Today, you would need an operational budget of at least R5m to cover the basics — R1.6m is ridiculous.”
Protecting our environment is not a “nice-to-do” it’s a “must-do”, not just for future generations, but also the economy of the province.
“To do so, we need these specialised units to monitor and enforce our environmental legislation.”
However, to do their jobs effectively requires money. And a whole lot more than they are currently getting.
Instead of spending a fortune on out-of-town government gatherings that could be hosted for a fraction of the cost at their home base in Bhisho, a good portion of this money could instead be diverted by the provincial authorities to a worthy entity such as the Green Scorpions.
The work they do is priceless.
HeraldLIVE
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