Good morning Prince Buthelezi

I hope this finds you well and thriving.

We need your urgent assistance please, especially as you have a dedicated interest in wildlife. Although nature conservation had long been a passion, as far back as mid century, in 1982, as Chief Minister of KwaZulu, you established the KwaZulu Bureau of Natural Resources, which later became South Africa’s first Department of Nature Conservation.

On Monday, 29th March 2021 Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife under the eye of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) seized 52 vervet monkeys from Umsizi Umkomaas Vervet Monkey Rescue Centre
The Owner was charged with breaking two sections of Nature Conservation Ordinance 15 of 1974. The two sections that she failed to adhere to are;
• Section 80 (1) of the Nature Conservation Ordinance 15 of 1974 which states that “No person shall keep in captivity any indigenous mammal or exotic mammal, except in terms of a permit granted under subsection 2 of section 84 and in accordance with the conditions, if any, imposed under subsection (3) of that section.”
• Section 213 (4B) which states that “ Any person who fails to comply with any lawful demand made by any Officer or honorary Officer under this Ordinance, or wilfully gives any false or misleading information in pursuance of such demand shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred rand, or in default payment, to imprisonment for any term exceeding six months, or both such fine and imprisonment.
The owner of Umsizi Vervet Monkeys Rescue Centre had been given 21 days’ notice on 4th February 2021 to remove the monkeys. She was charged yesterday and was given a R1500 fine.

52 monkeys were taken, not 100 as stated by Ezemvelo, and the adult male who was sick, was actually chased around so much that he collapsed from heat exhaustion and stress. It was Tracy Knowles of Umsizi, who took him and cared for him, and the SPCA officer rushed him to the vet where he died. They found he had head trauma, an injury caused in the capture process.

Furthermore, Umsizi could not ever get a permit, unless she was an exploiter such as a circus, medical researcher or museum. The SPCA has known about this rescue centre for well over a decade. KZNW will not give permits to rehab or rescue monkeys or Baboons, but a farmer can kill an entire troop of monkeys or Baboons and does do with the backing of KZNW. In 2018, Tracy Knowles argued in court that both the NSPCA and Ezemvelo knew full well that she had been operating without a permit since before 2010 and she is asked why it is only now a problem.

These are animals who have survived, with her help, being shot, deliberately ridden over, poisoned, or had dogs set upon them. Their habitat is increasingly taken over by humans, many of whom are intolerant, impatient and unwilling to compromise and live cheek by jowl with these original inhabitants.

She most urgently requires support and intervention, and I implore the IFP and your help to save the rescue centre, Umsizi, and to ensure these helpless animal are not killed by authorities.

I look forward to your urgent attention and favourable response in this regard