EZEMVELO CEO COMMENDS HIP FIELD STAFF FOR SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN RHINO POACHING

19 November 2025

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife CEO, Mr Sihle Mkhize, has expressed his profound appreciation to all Ezemvelo’s rhino reserves including the iconic Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park (HiP) Field Staff following the notable reduction in rhino poaching incidents recorded in recent months.

Speaking during an impromptu get together with the team, Mr Mkhize applauded their unwavering commitment, discipline, and resilience in the face of ongoing poaching threats. He reaffirmed Ezemvelo’s dedication to supporting its frontline staff, particularly those who, in the course of duty, find themselves having to appear in court due to incidents involving poachers.

“Ezemvelo will do everything in its power to ensure that every field ranger who must appear in court receives the support they need,” he assured.

Mr Mkhize also thanked rangers for voluntarily participating in the organisation’s polygraph testing process. Ezemvelo recently introduced polygraph tests across all its rhino reserves to strengthen internal security and ensure the integrity of anti-poaching operations. A few individuals who displayed signs of deception were immediately removed from rhino￾sensitive areas and will be offered a second opportunity to undergo the test. Mr Mkhize extended his gratitude to all HiP field staff for their continued bravery and dedication to protecting South Africa’s rhino population. Their efforts remain critical in safeguarding this iconic species for future generations.

During the gathering, Ms L. Fynn,Ezemvelo’s Data Analyst, provided an overview of the five-element Anti-Poaching Strategy, which includes an approach informally referred to as “tea and coffee.” This tactic involves the Anti-Poaching Unit visiting alleged poachers who have been granted bail, serving as a constant reminder that their activities remain under close observation and that Ezemvelo maintains a zero tolerance stance on wildlife crime. To date, only 86 rhinos have been poached in KwaZulu-Natal, a significant achievement compared to the 218 rhinos lost by November 2024.

Ms Fynn further revealed that through the current anti-poaching strategy, Ezemvelo has successfully destabilised four of five known members of poaching groups. Building on this success, the organisation has also identified an additional five group leaders whose activities are now under 24-hour surveillance.