20/06/2011 Dear Minister Molewa, RE: ANTI RHINO POACHING MEETING I herewith wish to express my utter disgust at your

offices lack of commitment towards making any kind of difference to the rhino poaching problem in South Africa. I have requested, both in writing and telephonically, a meeting in this regard with you or a representative of your office on no less than 40 separate occasions since 14 March 2011. I find it appalling that, to date, your office has flagrantly ignored my repeated requests. Moreover, each time I queried the progress of my application, I was told that I had been corresponding with the wrong contact person and provided with a different persons details. Only to once again be redirected by this individual to someone else. It would seem that your staff is either completely unwilling to assist, totally incompetent at performing simple tasks like relaying a message and arranging a meeting or that they exhibit such a shocking display of inefficiency because they simply could not care less. Quite frankly, the Department has failed spectacularly at all the rhino anti-poaching initiatives it has attempted to implement, as substantiated by the fact that 333 rhinos were reportedly poached in 2010 and a further 130 (approximately) so far this year. Not once did the employees on your payroll initiate contact with me to acknowledge receipt of my repeated emails and/or telephone calls, despite numerous empty promises to do so. All of the instances mentioned above were initiated by me. If you and your staff are either too busy, disinterested or ignorant to address the rhino poaching problem with the urgency it deserves, kindly redirect me to someone who can and will help me. It is astounding that the problem is internationally recognized by such influential publications as TIME magazine (June 13, 2011) and yet I cannot be given the courtesy of an answer to my question. Instead, I have been given the runaround for three months! Should I yet again hear nothing from your offices, I will hand this matter over to the media. Maybe they can extract a statement from your office as to why you would seem to regard yourself too important to grant an audience to concerned stakeholders who want to present you with viable and well-researched ideas to solve the rampant poaching problem, which one would assume should be one of your primary concerns at this stage. I have compiled a table of every date on which I attempted to arrange a meeting with a representative from your office, as well as a record of the person who assisted me at that stage and the outcomes of the various conversations. What an embarrassing display of the work done by the Department of Environmental Affairs. Please note that, since none of the employees mentioned below ever bothered to correspond with me in writing, I cannot confirm the correct spelling of any of their first or surnames.

DATE 14/03/2011 (Monday) 25/03/2011 (Friday)

CONTACT PERSON Gail

TIME

OUTCOME Original email sent.

Sonte

I follow up on a promise made earlier in the week that the Minister would allocate an advisor to communicate with me before the end of the week. Sonte explains that this could not happen as they had a power failure for three days. (What does that have to do with it?) I ask for Gail, but she has gone on maternity leave. I must call back on Monday.

30/03/2011 (Wednesday) 31/03/2011 (Thursday)

Sonte

Sonte/Netjedi

Based on our conversation the previous day, Sonte puts me through to Netjedi. I repeat my request to Netjedi (apparently senior to Sonte). She says that I must send my original email to her. Email forwarded to Netjedi.

31/03/2011 (Thursday) 01/04/2011 (Friday)

Netjedi

Netjedi

Says that meetings/appointments with the Minister and/or advisors will be scheduled next Wednesday, and I will be contacted by someone then. If not, I must call her again on Thursday or Friday. Attempt to contact Netjedi in Cape Town. Office says she has returned to Pretoria. Called Pretoria office 5 times, no answer. 16:28 Says Netjedi is at the office of the Director General, but she will return my call when she gets back. She does not.

04/04/2011 (Monday)

Netjedi

04/04/2011 (Monday)

Sonte

08/04/2011 (Friday)

Netjedi

15:30

She claims she sent an email to me yesterday containing the names of the Ministers advisor(s) who will be contacting me. Not available. I have not received the email Netjedi claimed to have sent. Informs me that Netjedi is in Cape Town and will only be back in 10 days time. Sonte expresses surprise that no advisor has yet contacted me, since she presented the letter to them almost a month ago. She will get back to me about this a.s.a.p. She does not.

11/04/2011 (Monday) 12/04/2011 (Tuesday)

Netjedi

Sonte

18/04/2011 (Monday) 19/04/2011 (Tuesday) 19/04/2011 (Tuesday) 20/04/2011 (Wednesday)

Netjedi

14:15

Left office for home already.

Netjedi

10:30

In a meeting.

Netjedi

16:00

Went to the bank.

Netjedi

15:00

Given Cape Town office number and gets in touch with Netjedi. She asks a colleague for a file to see who the advisor is that was assigned to this case, and claims that instructions had been issued for this person to contact me. She will investigate and get back to me before the weekend. She does not. Says Netjedi is overseas. I inform her that I am going to the media if I receive no response within the next two days my request has now been in the system for seven (7) weeks! She gives me an alternative email address to send the letter to and says a consultant will call me on Monday. If not, I must call her again then.

05/05/2011 (Thursday)

Sonte

15:50

06/05/2011 (Friday) 06/05/2011 (Friday) 06/05/2011 (Friday)

Sonte

09:30

I attempt to confirm that my email was received. Telephone does not ring strange tone instead. Phone rings for approximately 3 minutes with no answer. Says my letter was received and passed on to consultants for consideration. (I thought this was done in March already?) Claims that they will get back to me in three (3) days time. If I have not heard from them at all I must call her again on 11/05/2011. Refers me to Kedibone.

Sonte

10:05

Sonte

11:45

10/05/2011 (Tuesday) 10/05/2011 (Tuesday)

Sonte

Kedibone

Says that Rostrum meeting is held that Thursday and that I should call her again if I have heard nothing by Friday, 13/05/2011 14:30 Kedibone is busy and cannot take my call. I must call back in 15 minutes. Call transferred to Kedibone by Sonte. Phone rings for 5 minutes before I eventually hang up. No answer (Sonte and/or Kedibone)

13/05/2011 (Friday) 13/05/2011 (Friday) 13/05/2011 (Friday) 13/05/2011 (Friday) 13/05/2011 (Friday) Kedibone

15:00

15:25

15:40

No answer (Sonte and/or Kedibone)

15:50

Claims my request was discussed, but that the Minister is fully booked for the entire month of May. Suggests I contact Frans Vilakazi. Confirms that the request was discussed, but that the Minisiter returned from New York the day before, and has already left for

13/05/2011 (Friday)

Frans Vilakazi

16:00

Swaziland. He does not want the matter to be handled by an advisor/representative due to the serious nature thereof, and will try to arrange an appointment with the Minister, although her schedule is extremely full. I am to contact him again after the Municipal Elections on 18/05/2011. 20/05/2011 (Friday) 20/05/2011 (Friday) 23/05/2011 (Monday) 23/05/2011 (Monday) 23/05/2011 (Monday) 24/05/2011 (Tuesday) Frans Vilakazi Frans Vilakazi Frans Vilakazi Frans Vilakazi Frans Vilakazi Frans Vilakazi 14:50 Phone rings until it disconnects automatically. No voicemail. Claims he is not in the office, but will call me back on Monday, 23/05/2011. He does not. I call and Mr. Vilakazi says he will only be in the office in an hour and a half. I should call then. My phone call is answered, but then the phone is hung up after a few seconds. Same thing happens. Phone rings, is picked up, then call is ended. Message left on my landline from Frans Vilakazi. I return his call and he informs me that the Minister will only be available for appointments after 29/05/2011, but that she will be in Cape Town for a week at that time. I suggest a meeting during the week of 6-10 June 2011. He says he will try to arrange and let me know telephonically. He does not. 10:45 Mr. Vilakazis cell phone goes straight to voicemail. I leave a message reminding him that he was to get back to me. I leave my contact numbers. No answer. Leave a message on voicemail requesting a callback.

15:15

14:30

15:55

15:58

30/05/2011 (Monday)

Frans Vilakazi

06/06/2011 (Monday)

Frans Vilakazi

10:30

07/06/2011 (Tuesday)

Frans Vilakazi

10:00

He claims he was out of the office due to visits to Namibia & Swaziland and that he is on his way to London. Requests that I call him back after 14:00 No answer. I leave a message requesting a callback and leave both my contact numbers. Again. No answer. I leave a message saying that I am prepared to hand the story over to Carte Blanche for investigation. Receive a call on my landline. I can hear voices in the background, however nobody speaks into the phone. I end the call. Cannot confirm if this call was indeed made by Mr. Vilakazi.

07/06/2011 (Tuesday) 07/06/2011 (Tuesday)

Frans Vilakazi Frans Vilakazi

14:10

15:00

07/06/2011 (Tuesday)

Frans Vilakazi

15:10

If this information were presented to me as a business owner, I would be horrified. The absence of any form of service delivery borders on absurd, as does the complete lack of communication. If I had not experienced it, and kept a detailed record of every interaction with your department, I would not have believed it myself. I find your blas attitude in the face of an impending environmental disaster both worrisome and insulting. I cannot for the life of me fathom how you can not be aware of how dire the situation really is? I eagerly await your soonest reply. Regards, Ed Hern Owner: Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve