Rhinos: Hawks’ wings clipped
By Dorette De Swart - 13 October 2014
HIGH-LEVEL infighting in the police has seen the elite Hawks unit being sidelined from rhino poaching investigations in the Eastern Cape, with all new cases now being handled by stock theft units instead.
The shock move has been slammed by conservation authorities and rhino owners in the province, who said it was a step backwards.
They said the Hawks’ expertise in international and cross-border crime syndicates was vital if the war against poachers was to be won and that stock theft units were simply not up to the task.
However, some police officials have welcomed the move, saying the Hawks had not yet managed to make an arrest in any of the cases.
– Gareth Wilson
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