SANParks.org Forums

Yes, I'll probably feel in the future for posting this but that's how I feel recently on this forum. It feels as if every sensitive topics get swept away under a doormat.......We dare not comment on anything that can put Sanparks in a bad light.....

Like why is the Poaching thread locked?
Why doesn't is make sense to just lock every rhino thread on this forum is beyond me......

I don't know, I feel like this forum is turning into the biggest circus ever! It was my "happy place", my home from home, I felt so close to Kruger when browsing but nowadays it just makes me feel

Twigga,

The Poaching thread was locked because some forumites were getting into very heated discussions and making unfounded accusations. It was locked for a 24 hour cooling off period and I'm sure it will be available again some time today.

As always topics are not locked if people conduct themselves in a reasonable manner.

And threads are not swept, if a topic already exists then the posts are merged into the existing thread. It helps to keep the forum from getting too uncluttered. Where possible the Mods will alert the thread initiator that this has been done.

Twigga they said it will only be locked for a while then you can post again... the poaching topic that is.

The topic is open again since this morning
And we try to have all rhino threads (culling) in one and this is the poaching thread
And we do not accept complaints about SANparks or any SANparks employee without a acceptable reason
But any civil reasonable discussion about SANparks will not be swept under the carpet.
We follow the rules which every member should know


But we will never allow threads to become a circus
Nor will we allow members to turn threads into a circus
One of the moderators goals is to keep this forum a happy place

It was locked for 24 hours at 1:45 pm so should open in less than 2 hours!

Let me comment while this topic is still open....



I hear you bert I'm not talking about complaints, that's a whole other story, my main concern is it feels as if I'm "caged up" recently on the forum, if I don't agree with Sanparks then it's not acceptable.

Like for instance the thread on Resign! I still feel that Kruger isn't managed properly. That's my perocative, aren't I entitled to my own opinion? I'm not saying management are "bad people" I just feel they lack the skillls to combat this poaching battle, do they have the resources? Definitly....

Are there trustworthy people in Kruger to filter out the "bad apples". Definitly not! I feel an independent party must filter out all the corrupt workers in Kruger, if it's up to Sanparks own resources they will go nowhere.....

"Your posting should make a positive contribution to Sanparks,the Sanparks forum,it's visitors and potential park visitors"

So this means if I don't have a positive comment to say abouT Kruger I must keep quiet?
I'm sorry I don't agree, I know this forum plays a big part in promoting Kruger but if I'm not allowed to raise any concern than I don't see the point....

Twigga,

I don't think Your posting should make a positive contribution to SANParks, the SANParks Forums, its visitors and potential park visitors necessarily means that you have to make only positive comments.
Please re-read what Bert said :


I think we would have a lot more response from SANParks on this forum if we all addressed issues civilly and reasonably.
Don't we most of the time condemn or base our opinions on what we think instead of basing comments on facts ?

You are a valued member of this forum and I hope that you will continue participating here.

I think all we need to understand a few things.

1. When a negative thing is raised, one hopes that it will be dealt with in a positive way with a positive result.
2. We forumites are amateurs (i.e. it is our recreation not livelyhood). Granted there are some fundis on the forum. BUT, things will be seen from 2 perspectives. Forumites see the rosy picture we want, and staff often see this as a threat to their livelyhood.
3. This is often a 'conflict' area. Conservation is not a 'job' it is a passion, and those who are in it for any other reason should seriously consider employment in a different sector. I know that is pie in the sky. It is the forumites who have the freedom, governed by the rules, to point this out.
4. Paid employees have to do what they are instructed to do, no matter what their position in the hierarchy.

great sentences BB

BB
@Matthys - you're right 100%.I can't always support my suspicions with facts but if I raise any question it feels as if it's swept away...

Now below is quoted from the annual reports...

"Wildlife Management
Animal population control is oft"en necessary for ecological reasons, and the sale of captured animals provides revenue for numerous conservation projects. The total income generated for the
2010/11 financial year exceeded R30 million exclusive of VAT. SANParks continued to manage animal populations in the interest of maintaining biodiversity and averting risks to ecosystem
functioning.
Wildlife Crime
Rhino poaching continued to increase throughout the country, and reached levels in the Kruger National Park, where occasional fire-fights occurred between rangers and poachers. In the Kruger
National Park, 202 rhinos were killed by poachers between April, 2010 and March, 2011. During the same period, 92 suspects were arrested in connection with rhino poaching .
, often owing to technicalities around the issuing of permits, a concern The ratio of convictions to arrests is lowthat needs to be addressed. There were no incidents of elephant poaching in Kruger
National Park during the year. A request from the Minister of Environmental Affairs, to the chairman of the National Joints Security Committee (Natjoints) resulted in a priority committee being
established to manage ‘Operation Rhino’ to counter the poaching threat."

1.Wildlife Management - How is the 30 million spend? Numerous conservation projects, aren't that a bit vague?

2.Wildlife crime - The ratio of convictions to arrests is low - often owing to technicalities around the issuing of permits - What permits?

We will get back to you with the most satisfactory answer possible from SANparks

"Quoted from Sanparks annual 2011 reports"
SANPARKS SALARY SCALES: 2010/2011
EMPLOYEES WHO QUALIFY FOR HOUSING ALLOWANCE
BAND
ANNUAL MONTHLY
MINIMUM AVERAGE MAXIMUM MINIMUM MIDPOINT MAXIMUM 30 Percentile sal pm
A1 R 38 979.00 R 52 658.50 R 66 338.00 R 3 248.25 R 4 388.21 R 5 528.17 R 47 186.70 R 3 932.23
A2 R 38 979.00 R 52,658.50 R 66,338.00 R 3,248.25 R 4,388.21 R 5,528.17 R 47,186.70 R 3,932.23
A3 R 38,979.00 R 52,658.50 R 66,338.00 R 3,248.25 R 4,388.21 R 5,528.17 R 47,186.70 R 3,932.23
B1 R 40,470.00 R 54,713.00 R 68,956.00 R 3,372.50 R 4,559.42 R 5,746.33 R 49,015.80 R 4,084.65
B2 R 41,535.00 R 56,628.00 R 71,721.00 R 3,461.25 R 4,719.00 R 5,976.75 R 50,590.80 R 4,215.90
B3 R 42,600.00 R 58,615.00 R 74,630.00 R 3,550.00 R 4,884.58 R 6,219.17 R 52,209.00 R 4,350.75
B4 R 45,795.00 R 62,336.50 R 78,878.00 R 3,816.25 R 5,194.71 R 6,573.17 R 55,719.90 R 4,643.33
B5 R 55,380.00 R 69,689.00 R 83,998.00 R 4,615.00 R 5,807.42 R 6,999.83 R 63,965.40 R 5,330.45
C1 R 131,561.00 R 167,524.00 R 203,487.00 R 10,963.42 R 13,960.33 R 16,957.25 R 153,138.80 R 12,761.57
C2 R 133,326.00 R 169,771.00 R 206,216.00 R 11,110.50 R 14,147.58 R 17,184.67 R 155,193.00 R 12,932.75
C3 R 152,498.00 R 194,184.00 R 235,870.00 R 12,708.17 R 16,182.00 R 19,655.83 R 177,509.60 R 14,792.47
C4 R 167,269.00 R 212,993.00 R 258,717.00 R 13,939.08 R 17,749.42 R 21,559.75 R 194,703.40 R 16,225.28
C5 R 189,582.00 R 241,405.00 R 293,228.00 R 15,798.50 R 20,117.08 R 24,435.67 R 220,675.80 R 18,389.65
D1 R 279,182.00 R 355,497.00 R 431,812.00 R 23,265.17 R 29,624.75 R 35,984.33 R 324,971.00 R 27,080.92
D2 R 321,720.00 R 409,665.50 R 497,611.00 R 26,810.00 R 34,138.79 R 41,467.58 R 374,487.30 R 31,207.28
D3 R 324,791.00 R 413,574.50 R 502,358.00 R 27,065.92 R 34,464.54 R 41,863.17 R 378,061.10 R 31,505.09
D4 R 387,980.00 R 494,037.00 R 600,094.00 R 32,331.67 R 41,169.75 R 50,007.83 R 451,614.20 R 37,634.52
D5 R 395,841.00 R 504,048.00 R 612,255.00 R 32,986.75 R 42,004.00 R 51,021.25 R 460,765.20 R 38,397.10
EL R 534,800.00 R 680,992.50 R 827,185.00 R 44,566.67 R 56,749.38 R 68,932.08 R 622,515.50 R 51,876.29
EU R 612,982.00 R 780,545.50 R 948,109.00 R 51,081.83 R 65,045.46 R 79,009.08 R 713,520.10 R 59,460.01

Where does the field guide & ranger surface in this table?

In the 5 years on the forum, I have learned a couple of things. Firstly, it is not a right to be part of this Forum but a privilege. So it not an absolute right to have your say here, and if you do not conform to the rules and regulations, you must accept that your post will be removed. No matter how loud you shout and scream, if the mods decide to lock a topic, it will be done. If you try to sidestep the locked topic by posting something similar, you stand the chance of being banned.

The bottom line is, respect what the mods are trying to do and what the rules say.

Hi there Rooies
I'm not sure what you mean by this statement? If I don't have a right to have my say here then I don't see the point to be part of this forum anymore........

I can't answer for Rooies. However my take on what perhaps Rooies was getting at is that one can't just expect to say whatever one wants without consideration for the fact that this is a Forum in which members must abide by the Forum Rules. You and I can have our say.......so long as we stay within the rules of the Forum. It is a Forum hosted by Sanparks........it is not YouTube or Facebook where you can just say or post practically anything.......There are boundaries and that is to be expected. If you feel legitimate and serious questions are not being answered here then the proper course of action IMHO is to look for answers via correspondence directly to management or to a higher authority in the government.