“The future is young, and it’s female.” Most of the field rangers in the marquee at Thomas Baines Nature Reserve for the celebration of World Rangers Day were under 30, a convincing proportion were women, supporting the words of Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency CEO Vuyani Dayimani. As if to emphasise th point, Baviaanskloof Reserve field ranger Mirranda Langklaas stood up and delivered a heartfelt and stirring tribute to her profession, and her country, in the form of a praise poem.
Since September last year, ECPTA has welcomed 22 new field rangers into its ranks, seven of them women. World Ranger Day – officially July 31 – and marked by ECPTA in August, Women’s Month, is an initiative of the International Ranger Federation. It commemorates rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and celebrates 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 (COP1, a Global Biodiversity Framework was agreed upon by world leaders and decision-makers. One of the goals is that at least 30 per cent of the planet is effectively conserved and managed by 2030 (’30 by 30’).
The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency’s operations is 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 extraordinarily 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,” he said, addressing the field rangers. “When you choose to do the right thing even when you are alone and no one else sees, that’s called integrity.”
General Manager of the Sanparks Frontier Region Norman Johnson spoke about the “protector” role of field rangers.
“It doesn’t matter which entity you represent,” he said. “Your work of protecting biodiversity serves the people of South Africa, the continent and the world.”
Johnson spoke of the high physical and emotional risk to rangers.
“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 well-being,” Johnson said.
Johnson also spoke about the military structure of the profession. “Because of their role as protectors, field rangers must carry fire arms: 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.”
She described the work of field rangers, often carried out in the face of immense challenges, as “nothing short of heroic”. Picture: SUE MACLENNAN
ECPTA board chairperson and Rhodes University Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Dr Nomakwezi Mzilikazi delivered the keynote address on behalf of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism MEC Nonkqubela Pieters.
She described the work of field rangers, often carried out in the face of immense challenges, 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 in the Eastern Cape.”
Pieters said the bond had further supported the training and development of ECPTA’s rangers.
“Significant strides have also been made in improving staff accommodation and upgrading key reserve infrastructure across the province. These improvements go beyond providing better facilities; they guarantee that rangers have the necessary support and resources to perform their duties effectively,” Pieters said.
The World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD) in March 2022 announced the Wildlife Conservation Bond (WCB), 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”.
Rhinos are considered an umbrella species that play a crucial role in shaping entire ecosystems on which countless other species depend, the World Bank Group explained.
The five-year $150 million Sustainable Development Bond includes a potential performance payment from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which will contribute to protecting and increasing black rhino populations in two protected areas in South Africa: the Addo Elephant National Park (AENP) and the Great Fish River Nature Reserve (GFRNR). AENP is managed by the South African National Parks (SANParks) and GFRNR is managed by Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA).
FULL LIST OF AWARDS
Game Management and Recreation Cluster
Field Ranger of the Year: Lavisa Bushula
Bravery or Courageous Field Ranger of the Year: Zoliswa Daki
Team of the Year: East London Coast Nature Reserve
Marine and Coastal Cluster
Field Ranger of the Year: Zaminkosi Tongo
Bravery or Courageous Field Ranger of the Year: Ndoda Dubula
Team of the Year: NduliLuchaba Nature Reserve
Biodiversity and Heritage Cluster
Field Ranger of the Year: Malibongwe Ndamase
Bravery or Courageous Field Ranger of the Year: Jimulo Damons
Team of the Year: Great Fish Nature Reserve
Overall awards
ECPTA Overall Field Ranger of the Year (from game management and recreation): Thembile Gxagxisa
CEO’s Award (from game management and recreation): Lavisa Bushula
CEO’s Award (from marine and coastal): Thandeka Qhuba
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, August 29, 2024. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
