The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) has sent an urgent letter to the Tshwane Metro’s Department of Environmental Affairs and Agriculture, requesting the immediate repair of fences around local nature reserves.
This pertains particularly to the Rietvlei and Wonderboom Nature Reserves.
The request was prompted by a female cheetah, Njozi, escaping from the Rietvlei Nature Reserve through a hole in the fence for the second time.
Njozi was captured in the Bapsfontein area and returned.
In 2022, a hippopotamus escaped from the Reserve and was killed on the M53 – a direct consequence of poor maintenance on the Reserve’s fences.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly all the game in the Wonderboom Nature Reserve was poached through holes in its fences.
These nature reserves are not only conservation areas, but also valuable assets to the Metro. With the right managerial expertise, these reserves could become self-sustaining and even generate revenue for the Metro.
The Freedom Front Plus insists that urgent steps should be taken to prevent human and animal paths from crossing, which could potentially be lethal.
If the Department fails to respond to this urgent letter within 30 days, the Freedom Front Plus will draft a grievance petition to compel the Metro to take action.
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