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Honorary Rangers

Our People

Porfolios of the 2009 NEC

Janssen Davies: NEC Chairman

Janssen was born and raised on a big game farm in Kenya, becoming involved in wildlife conservation and hunting activities from a young age. Thirty years ago, he was appointed as an HR by Bruce Bryden, and 20 years on, in 1998 was appointed the Chairman of the Junior HR’s, assisted by Dr Johann Dreyer.

He became the Chairman of the National Training Committee in 1998 at the Indaba, after its’ establishment to implement the training strategy formulated in 1997. Thereafter he moved on to become the Chairman of Strategic Projects, together with his role of Chairman of the National Training Committee. After being co-opted onto the National Co-ordinating Committee, he was elected later to serve on the National Executive Committee, and in 2004, became the Chairman of the National Executive Committee. He still holds this portfolio. Janssen is a member of the Johannesburg Region HR’s.

After serving as CEO of Sage Financial, in his “other life”, and later the CEO of the Sage Group, in 2005 he officially retired, but remains very active. Janssen can boast with serving on the boards of 19 companies, as well as the Board of the Life Offices Association, and was also a founding member of the Committee of the Long Term Insurance Ombudsman. His list of impressive achievements culminated in July 2008 into his being appointed to the Board of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, and he remains a member of the Mpumalanga Tourism Forum.

Janssen’s other favourite cause is postgraduate business education, and he serves on the Advisory Board of the Wits Business School, also specialising and lecturing in Business Leadership. He serves as a Special Advisor on Business – University relations, to the Vice Chancellor of Wits University, Prof Loyiso Nongxa.

Janssen is supported in all his doings by his wife Linda. His brother Peter recently retired after 31 years service in the Kruger National Park. Peter’s wife, Ona, managed the Indigenous Nursery in Skukuza until her retirement in February 2008. Janssen spends his time between homes in White River in Mpumalanga, Johannesburg in Gauteng and Clarence in the Orange Free State.

André Vosloo: Vice Chairman NEC (Southern Regions) and Legal Compliance

André was born in Queenstown and grew up in the former Transkei, later spending time in Zululand as well. He spent his high school years in Affies (Afrikaans Seuns Hoër) in Pretoria.

He was appointed an HR in March 1992 in the Western Cape, after being an applicant since 1998 due to the “quota” system. André has been on the Western Cape Regional Management Committee since 1997, and was appointed the Vice Chairperson of the region in 2002 and served this portfolio until 2003.

In 2004, André was elected the Chairperson of the Western Cape region, and elected Chairperson of the Boland region in 2005, a position he fulfilled up to 2007. He is currently still a member of the Boland region, in the capacity of Vice Chairperson. He was elected as a member of the National Executive Committee in 2003, during the Indaba. His portfolios include Legal Compliance, Admin rules, Code of Conduct, Chairperson’s Manual, Merit Awards and meetings. André is also the NEC guardian of Boland, Overberg and Karoo Regions.

André’s other life sees him as General Manager of Legal Services and Research Company, and he travels extensively between Johannesburg and his base in Somerset West in the Western Cape. He also has business interests in a meat and biltong factory in Stellenbosch.

His other favourite cause is Marine Conservation, and his proximity to the Ocean provides him ample opportunity to be involved in ORI tagging and releasing of fish, especially Red Data species such as White Steenbras. Another passion of André’s is his photography, especially wildlife photography. He is currently building up a portfolio of special photos from all our National Parks.

André’s wife Petra and 9-year-old daughter Chandré share a special part of his life as an active HR.

André Van Der Merwe: Vice Chairperson (Northern Regions) and Treasurer

André joined the HR’s as an applicant with Lowveld Region during 1995. He also served as an applicant in the Marakele region during this time. In 1996 he was appointed as an Honorary Ranger in the Lowveld region, and completed his Orientation courses for KNP and Marakele, as well as Communications, Tourism, Night drive and Marine Ecology Courses.

He has also completed around 50% of the Tour Guide Course for Trails, but this was hampered by a necessary move to Gauteng for work purposes and personal studies. André was one of the first HR’s to complete the Night Drive course, and has since done around 300 drives. He is the proud holder of an MBA from North West University, obtained in 2007, and is preparing to start his studies towards a PhD in 2009.

André was involved with Lowveld region as a member, and a member of the RMC since 2000. He also became the Chairperson elect from 2000 to 2004. At the Berg en Dal Indaba in 2001, he was co-opted on the National Executive Committee with the Statistics Portfolio under his leadership.

He was elected to the NEC with the same portfolio at the Letaba Indaba in 2003. His election to Vice Chairperson of the NEC happened during the Marakele Indaba of 2007, and his portfolios include Treasurer, Corporate Governance, Merit Awards, Indabas and Liaison Conservation. His other NEC duty is the guardianship of Marakele and Vaal Triangle regions. He is currently an active member of Marakele region HR’s, and is a co-opted member of the RMC, portfolio Finances. André co-ordinates the popular Marakele Birding Breakaway for his region.

André’s life is shared with his wife Marieta, who is a teacher at Delmas Primary School, and they have two lovely daughters aged 25 and 21. The eldest daughter has flown the coop and the youngest is a student.

André’s paying job is with Absa Bank, and he is a Branch Manager in Edenvale, having served the same position in Delmas from 2005 to April 2008. He spent time with Absa Bank in the Lowveld town of Hazyview from 1998 to 2005. André also serves on his local church council, and his hobbies include hiking, photography, travelling and scuba diving.

Judy Bouwer: Report on National Projects and Project Register

Judy joined the HR’s as an applicant in October 1997, and was appointed as an HR in 1998 in the Addo region in the Eastern Cape. After a year there, she had proved her worth, and was elected as secretary for the region, “to do the hard work” she says. She fulfilled these duties for a year and was soon moved over to the Projects of Addo region, where after she was elected as Vice Chairperson. Two years in this portfolio saw her moving on to be elected as the Chairperson of Addo region for a further two years.

She is currently serving on the Addo RCM as treasurer, and boasts that she has attended each and every Indaba since its inception. She sadly missed the 2008 Indaba due to work pressure which took her overseas. Judy’s duties on the NEC involve the overseeing reports on Regional and National Projects, Projects register, consolidation of Regional Annual Reports, and liaison with Southern Parks as well as serving as guardian for Addo, Camdeboo, Tsitsikamma, Mountain Zebra and Southern Cape regions.

Judy used her youth to qualify herself with a BSc in Nursing Science from the University of Stellenbosch, furthering this with postgraduate qualifications in Management, Occupational Health and Marketing. Judy has been involving herself with different vocations within the medical field, and is currently managing a clinical trials and research centre, elbowing for space with husband Daan.

Judy is married to Dr Daan Bouwer, who runs his own private medical practice. They have four grown children, who all reside in South Africa. The eldest three children are all married, and the youngest, still single, is a wine maker by profession. They feel that the best investment they have ever made was the paying of university fees. Their biggest joy is to spoil their grandchildren and hand them back to the parents, which seems the “in” thing to do for grandparents.

Both Judy and Daan enjoy the outdoors and love nature. They especially enjoy doing off roading in a 4x4 as well as deep sea fishing. Their proximity to the coast helps them live out their passion for nature with a trailervan and the odd foray to their mountain retreat on the border of the Baviaans Kloof. They see this as their own little nature reserve and jump at any chance to visit it.

Michael Lodge: Fundraising - Friends of SANParks and Transformation

Mike joined iKapa Region (known then as the Western Cape Region) in 1999 along with his wife, Jenny. Upon receiving their membership as Honorary Rangers, they started a new Region at the West Coast National Park under the direction of their then SANParks socio-ecologist, Kevin Moore.

Mike stood as Chairman of the new Region for 5 years, creating the foundation for the Region's great honour of being awarded the prestigious SANParks Kudu Award for Community Contribution in 2007. He also won a SANParks Green Award for "pivotal involvement in establishing the West Coast Honorary Rangers and enduring excellence in contribution to the West Coast National Park" in 2006. Also in 2006, his Park Manager, Gary de Kock presented Mike and Jenny with an annual Merit Award from the West Coast National Park for their contributions to and work for the Park.

Mike grew up in Gauteng, matriculated at De La Salle College in 1969 and was a Boy Scout at First Northhills Troop until then. After his military service where he achieved the rank of Second Lieutenant, he ran the First Pioneer Boy Scout Troop in Krugersdorp for over seven years, building his interest in working with the youth.

In 1982 he hiked up the beach and coast from Cape Town to Hondeklipbaai with 5 other hikers and in 1995 was contracted for two years as farm manager on a 3,500ha game farm in the Balule reserve where he installed the required infrastructure and managed the construction of a luxury 14-berth game lodge for Drifters Adventours. During this time, Mike and Jenny lived in their tent under a Tamboti tree along with the big five. He is a self-taught apiarist, aquarist and herpetologist. In 2000, during the Treasure oil spill, Mike trained over 2,000 volunteers to feed the 22,000 plus penguins over his three month stint at SANCCOB's Salt River unit.

Mike's normal day jobs have included working as Project Manager at two major banks, Chamber of Mines, Altech Telecomms, Afrox, M-Net and currently Old Mutual. He has also managed and run his own roofing contracting business, and for three years was the General Manager for a cash-in-transit security products firm on the East Rand.

He has worked extensively with the rehabilitation of reptiles, primates and to a lesser degree, birds of prey over many years. As an HR, he managed the successful capture and release of 15 Grey Rhebuck from Caledon to the West Coast National Park in 2006. Mike is passionate about Honorary Rangers and is delighted to be of service to the National Executive Committee.

John Brankin: Training, National Quiz and Liaison Tourism

John was appointed an HR in 1999, and has been a member of the East Rand region ever since. He has served on the RMC of the East Rand region since 2003. He was the Chairperson of East Rand region from 2005 to 2008.

John was elected to the NEC in May 2006 with the portfolios of the National Quiz, Liaison Tourism and National Training committee forming part of his duties. He is also the NEC guardian of East Rand, Johannesburg, Johannesburg South and West Rand regions.

John is an almost “newly wed” and has been married to Marjorie since January of 2008, having previously widowed. He has two grown children with his son living in the USA and his daughter a resident in Europe.

In his working life John was in training, and general management in the pharmaceutical industry up to 1999, but then Management Consulting beckoned him and he has been doing that ever since. His main areas of work are now the management of a timeshare resort at the Paul Kruger Gate to KNP and administration of a timeshare resort in the Drakensberg, of which he is also the company secretary. Helping keep the food on the table is the management of a property company and being a Director of the Timeshare and property companies.

Johan Stone: Bush Camps and Events Pricing

Johan was appointed an HR in February 1989, and has completed various courses, amongst which are the Marine Ecology, Grass Identification and Veld Management Principles and Mapungubwe National Park Orientation course. He can boast with attendance of eight Indaba’s and nine Bushcamps, which is a big achievement.

He is currently the Chairperson of the Limpopo Region, after an illustrious career with them. He served on the RMC from 1990 to 1995, and again from 2002 to 2008, the last three years as Chairperson.

After being co-opted onto the NEC in 2005, he was elected as member during 2006 at the Tsitsikamma Indaba, and has been an elected member of the NEC since then. His duties include the National Co-ordinator of Bush Camps (also a National Project), Liaison with Mapungubwe, Guardian of Limpopo region, Events Pricing and Marketing Video/CD project.

Johan grew up in Lydenburg, and matriculated there, he completed a BSc Civil Engineering degree at the University of Pretoria in 1972, and MBL from UNISA rounded off his studies in 1980. He is currently retired after spending 23 years as the owner of a Wood Crafts Factory. Johan and his wife, Jean reside in Polokwane in Limpopo.

He has many hobbies to keep himself busy outside of his HR duties, and rates his repair and restoration of mechanical clocks and restoration of antique BMW motorcycles as the top hobbies. Johan loves doing his duties in Letaba in the KNP, especially the Elephant Hall, and also assists other rest camps in the region with general duties, reception duties, drives and caravan park duties. He is actively involved in preparing the Project Business Plan for the proposed Bush Camp in Mapungubwe National Park.

Piet Andjelkovic: Communications and Administration

Piet applied as an applicant with the HR corps in 2001, and was eventually appointed as an HR in January 2003. He was elected as the treasurer of Bushveld region while still an applicant in 2002, and has served on the RMC since then. He was elected the Chairperson of the Region in 2004, and has been re-elected to the position since then.

In 2007, at the Marakele Indaba, Piet was elected as a member of the NEC, and is serving his second year as the member co-ordinating Communications, both internal and external. His other duties include the Administration portfolio and Liaison KNP North. There has been a lively interest in the media and website since he took on this portfolio; many regions are fully supportive of it. Piet is the NEC guardian of the Bushveld region.

Born in Koppies in the Orange Free State, he grew up in Benoni on the East Rand, where he matriculated. The unique surname he has was gained when Piet and his brother and sister were adopted by a Yugoslav step father at a very young age. They were later joined by another sister. He qualified as an Aircraft Radio Technician at South African Airways, and also studied toward his National Diploma in Electronics during this time. His last four years at SAA was spent in the Flight simulators section, where he became a great admirer of aircraft and even an avid “arm chair pilot”, having flown all the Boeing aircraft that SAA had in their fleet, as well as the Airbus products, albeit in a flight simulator.

Piet has been living in Phalaborwa in Limpopo province since 1997, working as a Supervisor in the Instrumentation section of the Rio Tinto owned copper mine of Palabora Mining Company. The Smelter and Refinery section where he works plays a big role in the annual production of around 120,000 tonnes of high quality copper for the industry. The proximity of KNP was the major draw card to the HR corps and he gained FGASA accreditation in Local Field guiding and Level 1 field guide in his spare time. This is used to full advantage when he takes visitors on drives in the Phalaborwa area. He is married to Tracy, who is also an HR, and runs her own nursery school in the town.

Piet and Tracy have two daughters, Jacqui and Jennifer, aged 22 and 20 respectively. Their main passion is camping and spending time in the abundant nature that surrounds Phalaborwa.

Cedric Hapgood-Strickland: Junior Rangers

Cedric started his career in the Honorary Rangers in the Western Cape, and helped in the training courses for members and accreditation of trainers for Applied Communication. These tasks were followed through in the Western Cape, West Coast and Addo regions, and later also in Pretoria, Marakele and Free State regions. He was the training co-ordinator for the Western Cape region.

He moved over to the Pretoria region and continued with training, doing various orientation courses and became heavily involved with the youth corps, also becoming facilitator, and assisted in training other facilitators. He was elected the Chairperson for Pretoria region for 3 years, and has been the Chairperson of National Youth committee since 2004. His tasks on the NEC involve the Junior Rangers and Liaison with People and Conservation of SANParks. He is also the NEC guardian of the Pretoria region.

Cedric has been married to Lynne for 32 years, and they have three grown sons. He started his working career as a government excise officer (customs) dealing with legal and illegal alcohol manufacture and unlawful publications amongst others. He then changed his field and studied in the field of electrical engineering; completing his trade as a millwright.

This did not satisfy him, and he went into training and development and obtained an appropriate qualification. He is still in this field in his professional life. Both Cedric and Lynne are ordained ministers and apply a lot of their time in community work, squatter camps, old age homes abused women and street people. He has served on the Helderberg skills development forum, the Mayors’ Advice Committee and the Youth Forum. They have developed their own marriage enrichment seminar, and are involved with experimental music therapy for Alzheimer’s patients.

Cedric’s past is colourful, he even co-ordinated a radio program, and presented his own three hour radio programme, produced it, scanned the content for music and other details, in other words, a real “DJ”. His main passion is working with the “top of the food chain”; People.

Des Bothma: HR Statistics

Des was appointed as an HR in the Free State Region in January 2003, and has been a member of the Free State RMC since January 2005. He was elected as the chairperson of the region in January 2008. Des is an instructor in the Grassveld Eco Zone course.

He has completed various HR related courses, amongst which are Arid Zone Orientation, KNP orientation, Savannah Grasslands orientation, Veld Interpretation and Park Heritage I and II. He has attended 5 Indabas since 2002. Des was elected as a member of the NEC at the Berg en Dal Indaba in 2008. His portfolio on the NEC is the laborious task of HR statistics, and he is the NEC guardian of Free State, Diamantveld and Kwa-Zulu Natal regions.

Des has been married to his wife Elza for 34 years; Elza is employed as a deeds secretary and also an HR. They have two sons and a daughter, Stefan, Gustav and Heidi are all holders of degrees, as is Des. He has a Bachelors degree in Agricultural Management, and has furthered this by becoming a certified Financial Planner as well as holder of a FACI (Fellow of the Association of Collective Investments) Diploma in Unit Trust Investments.

Des works for Old Mutual, and started his career with the company in 1973. The family have spent time in Cape Town, Pretoria and Kimberley, and they currently reside in Bloemfontein, having moved there in 1997. He is employed as Relationship Manager for Old Mutual Unit Trusts and OMIGSA Sales Executive for the Retail Sector. Apart from his interests in nature conservation and the HR corps, Des is a casual cyclist and enjoys a game of golf.

Eric Makondo: Transformation and Recruitment

Eric joined Letaba region as an applicant in 2004 and was fortunate to go for Orientation and Communication courses in the same year. He also completed Parks Heritage I course in 2007. He served at RMC since 2006 as a Secretary to date.

Eric was co-opted as NEC member during the Indaba 2008 at Berg en Dal, under Transformation and Recruitment portfolio. He is also the National Guardian of Letaba region. He likes organising tour groups, accompanying them into KNP as their guide, and makes direct fundraising to SANParks.

He is married to Holly, who is an educator and they are blessed with two daughters and a son, Vutlhari (21), Mpfuxelelo (16) and Ntikelo (10). The elder daughter holds a BCom degree and is working for Absa at Malamulele branch. She has a two and half-year-old daughter named Kwetsima. The second daughter is lovely and likes drawing. The son likes accompanying his dad when performing duties in KNP. His dream is to be a Junior Ranger and later to be an Honorary Ranger like his dad.

Eric is a Deputy Principal at Magomani Primary School, Xikundu in Limpopo province. He stays at Malamulele town in Limpopo province. He likes serving his community which led him to volunteer to serve as a secretary of Levubu – Letaba Catchment’s Urgency working in collaboration with Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. In 2004, he was appointed the vice-chairperson of the Board of Directors of a private company, KMK Networking. From 1995 – 2003 he worked part time as a Manager of Salema Coaches Transport and Saselamani Garage respectively. It was at that time when he obtained a certificate in Cost Accounting and Tendering.

He holds the following qualifications: Primary Teachers Diploma, Science Education Diploma, and Further Diploma in Education management, BTech degree in Education Management and a certificate in OBE through technology.

Eric does freelance work, selling vehicles for McCarthy and comprehensive vehicle car insurance. He is currently a registered student with Unisa studying towards completion for a course in insurance studies.

Grant Coleman: AITG and KNP Environmental Programme

Grant joined the HR Corps in 2001 with the Lowveld region, and immediately became involved with the Junior Rangers. He eventually moved over to assisting with the regions’ projects in 2007. He has been serving on the RMC for the past 3 1/2 years, as Vice chairperson, also doing the project co-ordination for the past 3 years.

Grant was nominated for a Merit award for his efforts at the Indaba in Marakele in 2007, and also became the National Project Leader for AITG at the same Indaba. He was co-opted to the NEC in 2008 at the Berg en Dal Indaba, his portfolio being AITG and KNP Liaison South. He is an avid tour guide and is a registered guide in Mpumalanga and KNP.

He does freelance work for as a “Jeep Jockey” when the time allows, and is registered to do guided walks in the KNP, citing this as the ultimate learning experience. Grant is self employed in the sales of pumps and valves to the industry. He studied in Nature Conservation and it is his passion, shared by his family. Grant matriculated in 1984 and is a Jeppe “Old Boy”. He even became an Temporary Tourist Official for the (then) Parks Board, having worked in Lower Sabie and Skukuza, where he spent some time on the right wing for the local rugby club.

He earned his Diploma in Nature Conservation in Namibia in 1993, and worked for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. His stint with them saw him being a Ranger in Windhoek Regional Office from 1990 for three years where he did farm inspections and some law enforcement. After that, Warden at Okatjikona Environmental Education Centre at Waterberg Plateau Park near Otjiwarongo which kept him and Leslie busy for 4 years.

Grant and his colleague developed the place by themselves, doing all the planning, development, programmes, maintenance, gardening and cooking. A veritable “Jack of all trades” scenario. In 2000, Grant completed his National Higher Diploma in Veld and Game Management.

Grant’s wife for 18 years, Leslie, also an HR, is the secretary for the Lowveld region and supports him in all he does. Their son Kyle, who is 15 was born in Windhoek and attends boarding school in Grahamstown. He is also a Junior Ranger. Grant calls himself a firm supporter of SA rugby and will, when he really has to, say that he supports the Sharks team, their style being his main motivator. When he is not working for the environment and conservation Grant likes photography and farming and loves spending time with his family.