North West Parks Board Letter To Prof TJ Mokgoro

00000000 North West Parks Board
Postal Address: PO Box 4488 Mmabatho 2735, Province of the North West, South Africa
Street Address: 2 Churchill Street, Cnr. Churchill & Tillard Streets, Golf view, Mafikeng
Telephone: (018) 381-6030/6114; Telefax: 018 381- 6114
Email Address : [email protected] Web Site: http://www.tourismnorthwest.co.za
Fax to E-mail: 086 648 2801/086 720 0177
MEMO
13 January 2016
Prof Job Mokgoro, Chairperson North West Parks Board
Recommendation of Special Conservation Committee Meeting of 14 December

2015 on “Madikwe TB Management”
1. Purpose: to approve the recommendation of the Conservation Committee on a

long standing matter of national importance, Madikwe Bovine tuberculosis (TB).
2. Background: provided for by submission from Management, and attached.
3. Discussion: TB was discussed at length in great detail at a Special Committee

meeting, and minutes should capture that.
4. Conclusion: The Board or its Committees have no authority to debate strategic

decisions taken by the NW government, safe to carry them out within the law,
policies, and Board’s fiduciary duties. Further, a signed Court Order compels the
Board to carry out, inter alia, TB surveillance and salvage or rescue plan.
5. Recommendations: that the Board Chair authorizes Management’s submission

to start the TB surveillance and salvage operation for the Madikwe Buffalo.
6. Implications: costs to be borne by South African Rare Game Breeders Holdings

(SARGBH), as per attached. There should be no political fallout except objections
from interested parties with their known objections to SARGBH.
Submission: to reduce and maybe eradicate TB in Madikwe Buffalo, a national risk.
______________________
Dr Hector Magome
Chair Conservation Subcommittee, North West Parks Board
Submission approved: following a detailed submission and discussion of the matter

at the Special Conservation Committee.
______________________ _________________
Prof Job Mokgoro Date
Chair North West Parks Board
1
North West Parks Board
Postal Address: PO Box 4488 Mmabatho 2735, Province of the North West, South Africa
Street Address: Lichtenburg/Nelson Mandela Road, Cookes Lake Resort. Mafikeng
Telephone : (018) 3861225-9 Fax: (018) 386-1158 Mobile: 082-880-1474
Email Address: [email protected] Web Site: http://www.tourismnorthwest.co.za
Madikwe TB Management
Update Report 14 December 2015
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this communication is to update the Conservation sub-committee on the

management of Bovine tuberculosis (TB) on Madikwe Game Reserve.
2. UPDATES
Following the meeting of the conservation sub-committee of 5 and 6 November 2015, there
have been a number of important developments, some of which were only confirmed in
writing on 12 December 2015. The update report provides for an operational perspective on
the matter on hand
2.1 PRO-ES INVESTMENTS COURT CASE NO. M 3 / 15

A Settlement Agreement with the above applicant was concluded on the 03 December
2015. In the haste to meet the deadlines of the new Settlement Agreement the draft TOR
for a veterinary service provider and Draft Schedule of Tasks were attached as reference
documents before line management processes finalized these drafts. Be that as it may, the
Settlement Agreement contains the following important deadlines to note:
2.1.1 Double Fence Project: Completion of double fence by 30 June 2016 (see Prayer 3).
2.1.2 Prevalence and Salvage Projects: Written confirmation by no later than 30 March
2016 that the Madikwe prevalence testing or combined prevalence testing and
salvage projects are approved by NWPB, READ and DAFF (see Prayer 6).
2.1.3 Appointment of Service Providers: Proof by no later than 30 March 2016 that a vet,
temporary bomas, helicopter services and capture teams have been appointed (see
Prayer 6 also).
2.2 PERSPECTIVE ON DOUBLE FENCE PROJECT

At the time of the last sub-committee meeting the double fence project was still in the
hands of the Department READ who had provided some of the material required and service
providers to construct the fence. It is now clear from the Settlement Agreement that the
responsibility to complete the fence lies squarely with the NWPB. A formal handover of the
project (with materials) is urgently needed from READ to NWPB. This matter is being
addressed in the Terms of Reference for a Madikwe TB Management Task Team established
by the NWPB Executive.
2
A further matter to take note of is the deadline of 30 June 2016 set for completion of this
fence. Additional material needs to be purchased, a new fence line must be cleared through
thick bush and a fencing contractor has to be appointed. This is a very tall task indeed. The
offer from SARGBH (as mentioned in the COO report dated 11 December 2015) to assist in
this regard should therefore receive serious consideration.
2.3 PERSPECTIVE ON PREVALENCE AND SALVAGE PROJECTS:

After the last Conservation sub-committee meeting, the initial planning for these 2 projects
was premised on NWPB moving with this project internally (planning, implementation and
budget wise). It is now clear from the COO submission dated 11 December 2015 that this is
not the case anymore. SARGBH is now central to both projects. Given this additional help
SARGBH is also to benefit beyond the initial number of buffalo allocated although the actual
number was not set. As a result, what was understood to be a donation of high value game
or wildlife to SARGBH, now appears to be a partnership for mutual assistance and benefit.
Benefit to NWPB of SARGBH’s involvement is that all the infrastructure and appointments of
service providers required in executing the surveillance and salvage projects will be privately
funded and to a large extent conducted by SARGBH themselves. Even the SARGBH vet can
now revise the TB Management Plan and TB Surveillance and Salvage Implementation Plans
required for provincial and national approval (see Item 2 above).
In addition, despite the delays experienced to-date, NWPB is now more likely to achieve the
conditions of the Court Settlement Agreement mentioned above. The role of SARGBH as the
beneficiary and voluntary financial contributor required that they become directly involved
in the planning and coordination of these projects; this is the intention of the Madikwe TB
Management Task Team.
2.4 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES
2.4.1 Double fencing

Already dealt with under 2.2
2.4.2 Salt licks

Moratorium on placing salt licks remains in force.
2.4.3 Game introductions and removals

Moratorium on moving high risk animals out of Madikwe remains.
2.4.4 TB surveillance in the district

This action is the responsibility of the Department of READ. The last survey was
conducted in March 2013.
2.4.5 Passive TB surveys

As a basic TB monitoring tool, ad- hoc TB testing is done on sickly animals or culled
lions. A total of seven lion and two buffalo were sent to Onderstepoort for TB
testing. Results are awaited for the lion and buffalo calf carcasses submitted in
December 2015. No TB has been detected in carcasses submitted to date.
3
2.5 BOMA BUFFALO
A total of 9 buffalo remain at the Madikwe bomas as the big cow and her calf died since the
November 2015 report. The calf was sent in for a post mortem; we await the results. The
cow (mother to the calf that died) died on the 12 December. Attempts by a vet to save the
cow were in vain. The in situ postmortem on the 13 December revealed that a short piece of
wire was ingested and penetrated from the stomach into the heart. A tennis ball size hard
mass of undigested material was also found in the stomach which would also have been a
source of discomfort. The boma animals are ready to move to the SARGBH property once
the revised Madikwe TB Management Plan and TB Salvage Implementation Plan have been
approved by NWPB, READ and DAFF.
As per requirement of DAFF, a full history of each animal in the bomas has been compiled
for further analysis and was sent to the Director Veterinary Services from the Department of
READ for his further handling with DAFF officials.
2.6 FREE RANGE BUFFALO

The TB surveillance and TB Salvage Plans are planned and have partially been discussed
under Sections 2.1 and 2.3. A separate management submission containing an estimation of
costs for the surveillance and salvage projects under three scenarios was developed and
sent on the 28th November 2015 to assist line management in further decision making. The
recommendation of appointing a special Task Team to coordinate all the planning and the
implementation activities was approved at the Executive meeting of 08 December 2015.
In conclusion, the past weeks have seen a flurry of activities which in the end resulted in
clearer strategic directives. The appointment of the Task Team will improve communications
and co-ordinations for the planning and implementation of all the above projects.
Peter Leitner
Regional Manager: Madikwe Cluster
Protected Area Management
4
Table showing all the costs and options available to Management and SARGBH
use all animals tested negative in field boma for

Option 1 salvage
Option 2 use select animals from negative testing animals for salvage
Option 3 fewer select animals of Option 2
Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

Preparatory costs (1.5 months) 180,000 180,000 180,000 Preparatory costs 180,000 180,000 180,000
Infrastructure cost salvage phase 1 3,187,000 2,125,000 1,341,000 Prevalence testing 2,236,133 1,943,633 1,831,133
Prevalence testing 2,236,133 1,943,633 1,831,133 Salvage Phase 1 18,574,550 12,115,801 7,214,772
Salvage Phase 1(23 months) 15,387,550 9,990,801 5,873,772 Salvage Phase 2 12,215,472 9,775,672 6,072,493
Infrastructure cost salvage phase 2 4,974,000 3,943,000 2,887,000 33,206,155 24,015,107 15,298,399
Salvage Phase 2 (12 months) 7,241,472 5,832,672 3,185,493 Final clean buffalo 404 340 181
33,206,155 24,015,107 15,298,399 cost per buffalo 82,183 70,732 84,738
Final clean buffalo 404 340 181
cost per buffalo 82,183 70,732 84,738 keeping in mind infrastructure improvements on site as an added benefit
Notes: Cost driver is salvage phase as this must be seen along with the infrastructure upgrade cost.
preparatory and prevalence testing remain the same irrespective of number of buffalo decided on for salvage
the costs for the additional year on another site for two further test
at any stage of the salvage process when a single TB result is detected, the process starts from test 1 again until 5 successive tests are clean-
this has major cost risk tender prices will ultimately determine costs
once the site specifics of Phase 2 are known the overheads can be adjusted to actual requirements

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00000000 North West Parks Board

Prof Job Mokgoro, Chairperson North West Parks Board

Recommendation of Special Conservation Committee Meeting of 14 December

1. Purpose: to approve the recommendation of the Conservation Committee on a

2. Background: provided for by submission from Management, and attached.

3. Discussion: TB was discussed at length in great detail at a Special Committee

4. Conclusion: The Board or its Committees have no authority to debate strategic

5. Recommendations: that the Board Chair authorizes Management’s submission

6. Implications: costs to be borne by South African Rare Game Breeders Holdings

Submission: to reduce and maybe eradicate TB in Madikwe Buffalo, a national risk.

Submission approved: following a detailed submission and discussion of the matter

Update Report 14 December 2015

The purpose of this communication is to update the Conservation sub-committee on the

2.1 PRO-ES INVESTMENTS COURT CASE NO. M 3 / 15

2.2 PERSPECTIVE ON DOUBLE FENCE PROJECT

2.3 PERSPECTIVE ON PREVALENCE AND SALVAGE PROJECTS:

2.4 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

2.4.1 Double fencing

2.4.2 Salt licks

2.4.3 Game introductions and removals

2.4.4 TB surveillance in the district

2.4.5 Passive TB surveys

2.6 FREE RANGE BUFFALO

use all animals tested negative in field boma for

Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

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