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Newsletter 158
18/02/18

An Open Letter to the New President Cyril Ramaphosa

Dear Mr President 

Like many South Africans, I have waited patiently for the day when the dark cloud could be blown away and a new dawn could rise on our beautiful country. 

Congratulations on achieving a non-violent transition to becoming our new President. 

I was at Londolozi Game Reserve with Nelson Mandela when you phoned him from the Trade Centre, the day the AWB invaded the peace talks. I listened intently as Madiba told FW de Klerk he was mobilizing “Umkhonto we Sizwe”. After Madiba put the phone down he instructed me to get him a helicopter as he wanted to fly personally into the Trade Centre. 

I argued strenuously that firstly Madiba’s life could be in danger if he flew into the Trade Centre. Secondly, if Madiba was harmed, it could plunge South Africa into a civil war. Thirdly, Madiba had spent 27 years in prison and this could be wasted in a moment of madness. 

After a heated discussion, Madiba agreed to cancel the helicopter and go to his house in Lower Houghton where he could give an interview and calm the nation. This culminated in his famous speech “The AWB do not represent the whites of South Africa etc etc” 

Sitting around the campfire and on the game drives with Madiba, I came to realize that his philosophy was based on fairness. Fairness to all the people of South Africa. 

I would like to suggest that as a new dawn breaks across South Africa, you take the meaning of fairness to another level. You seek for fairness between human beings and the land, the rivers, the forests the oceans and the animals, both domestic and wild. 

Mr President I know you are heavily invested in the game industry, especially buffalo. 

South Africa has ninety percent of the rhino on the African continent. During the last 6 years, we have lost over 1,000 rhino per year. It is totally unacceptable! 

While we have troops doing service in other African countries, we have state assets, rhinos and elephants, being stolen by Mozambican nationals. I urge you to put the full force of our army and finish this rhino war once and for all. Increase the jail sentences to make it simply not worth while to poach a rhino or an elephant. Incentivise the private sector to intensify the rhino war. Don’t let it linger, “Take Care of Business!”

The great Indian leader Mahatma Ghandi once wrote “A Nation will be judged on how it treats its animals” 

Mr President, to allow game farmers to put an apex predator like a male lion in a two-hundred-hectare camp and allow an overseas hunter to shoot it when the lion has no chance of escape, is unfair, unethical and demonstrates cruelty of the highest order. Then to tell the world that this is wise use of a renewable resource, is deceptive!

The big hunting organization, Safari Club International, has sent a powerful message to its 50,000 members that canned hunting is not ethical and will not be recognized. 

Mr President the time is right to take this cancer called “Canned Lion Hunting” out of our system, once and for all. 

With due respect Mr President, the leadership in our Department of Water and Environmental Affairs has not been good over the last 7 years. Indecisive, ambiguous and misinformed have led us down some disastrous routes. I urge you to bring strong leadership and knowledgeable people into this important position. 

Mr President, I have no doubt that we will under your leadership regain our position as the leaders in Africa. When we do regain our position, we must lead by example. I urge you to take a close look at cruelty in our country. There is immense cruelty in industrial farming which is unacceptable!. 

In the last three years, 41 countries have banned the use of wild animals in circus acts, we should follow suit. A long hard look at zoos should be instigated. It is no longer acceptable to incarcerate an animal that has committed no crime to a dingy, filthy cage so that human beings can look at it. All our major cities have zoos and the conditions in many of those zoos, leave much to be desired. 

Finally Mr President, you will note that the Queen of England has banned plastic from all her properties. The Queen was inspired after watching the BBC, Blue Planet Series. 

A simple law which says no more plastic packets in Super Markets would be a huge step forward. It’s a fact that non-degradable plastic, litters the land, chokes the rivers and damages marine life. There is a body of plastic floating in the ocean the size of France. It is totally unacceptable! Some countries and cities with a total ban on plastic bags include: Kenya, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Italy, California, Hawaii, Chicago, Dallas, Brazil and the Philippines.

I urge you Mr President to appoint a commission of enquiry of knowledgeable people to come up with a “Plastic Strategy” for South Africa. 

Finally, on a personal note, I would like to wish you all success in the restoration of our beautiful country. 

I hope we will still see you at the game auctions bidding for big horned buffalo bulls. I hope you will continue to relax at your fly fishing location. The only thing I have learnt from Donald Trump, is that it's important to play golf while running the country. The very best of luck to you Mr President. 

Tread Lightly on South Africa its people, its land, its rivers, its forests, its oceans and its animals wild and domestic. 

John Varty (JV)


Tread lightly on the Earth

[email protected]
Copyright 2007 @jvbigcats  All rights reserved


Newsletters


Newsletters 162
23/07/18
Raising 200

Newsletters 161
22/05/18
Reach for 200

Newsletters 160
06/05/18
The Power of the Photograph

Newsletter 159
14/04/18
Predator Aggression

Newsletters 158
19/02/18
Open letter to Cyril Ramaphosa

Newsletter 157
14/02/18
SCI bans canned lion hunting

Newsletters 156
26/01/18
Tibo produces white cubs

Newsletters 155
13/11/17
The Indian Connection

Newsletters 154
28/10/17
Desertification

Newsletter 153
20/10/17
Supermarket Shopper vs. Hunter Gatherer

Newsletter 152
14/10/17
JV's response to Elayna Kinley letter

Newsletters 151
29/09/17
Running on empty

Newsletter 150
14/09/17
The Survivor

Newsletters 149
05/09/17
In pursuit of Alan Root

Newsletters 148
09/08/17
Open letter re schools plus Panna cubs

Newsletters 147
17/07/17
It's Finished

Newsletters 146
31/05/17
Hunters

Newsletter 145
20/05/17
King Corbett

Newsletter 144
08/05/17
Hunting versus Non Hunting

Newsletter 143
14/03/17
If it Pays, it Stays

Newsletters 142
14/02/17
Best Photographs at
Tiger Canyons

Newsletters 141
16/01/17
Lady Hunters

Newsletter 140
10/12/16
Londolozi and Love

Newsletter 139
23/11/16
Life is Not Fair

Newsletter 138
17/11/16
The Trump Card

Newsletter 137
22/10/16
Most Admired People on the Planet

Newsletters 136
13/10/16
Captive vs Wild

Newsletter 135
08/10/16
To trade  or not To Trade

Newsletter 134
08/08/16
A Defining Moment

Newsletter 133
08/07/16
I Have Lost A Friend

Newsletter 132
13/05/16
The World is Changing

Newsletter 131
08/04/16
Icon Cats

Newsletter 130
31/03/16
Sylvester the Lion

Newsletter 129
22/03/16
An Open Letter to Head United Nations

Newsletter 128
15/03/16
An Open Letter to Carte Blanche

Newsletter 127
28/11/15
Satellite Tracking

Newsletter 126
12/11/15
Lightning strikes 3 times

Newsletter 125
28/10/15
The Break Out

Newsletter 124
05/10/15
Bad Tigers

Newsletter 123
01/10/15
Tiger Boy's Journey

Newsletter 122
13/09/15
Give it a Name

Newsletter 121
10/09/15
Driven Hunts

Newsletter 120
01/09/15
Creative Conservation

Newsletter 119
12/08/15
Sariska from birth till death

Newsletter 118
11/08/15
Real Hunters

Newsletter 117
07/08/15
An Open Letter to the President: Operation Wild Lion

Newsletter 116
03/08/15
An Open Letter to Theo Bronkhorst

Newsletter 115
28/07/15
Cruel Nations

Newsletter 114
08/07/15
Subspecies or no subspecies

Newsletter 113
11/06/15
Tigers Moving Forward

Newsletter 112
13/04/15
Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Newsletter 111
26/03/15
Don't Shoot the Messenger

Newsletter 110
22/03/15
The Hunters

Newsletter 109
09/03/15
Gaia or God?

Newsletter 108
26/02/15
The Healing Power of Cats

Newsletter 107
18/02/15
Goddess Gaia

Newsletter 106
03/02/15
Ambassador Cats

Newsletter 105
24/01/15
Blondes have more fun

Invitation
09/01/15
Gaining ground for tigers

Newsletter 103
14/12/14
Tibo's Dilemma

Newsletter 102
05/12/14
Wilderness Man

Newsletter 101
25/11/14
Sariska fathers cubs with white Tigress Tibo

Newsletter 100
20/11/14
Cheetah Survival

Newsletter 99
30/09/14
Extract from JV's speech on Corbett's Freedom Day

Newsletter 98
15/08/14
The Power of the Picture

Newsletter 97
18/07/14
Tiger Corbett's Release

Newsletter 96
11/07/14
Corbett's Journey

Newsletter 95
18/06/14
Bush School: Where are they now?

Newsletter 94
12/05/14
Open letter to Jani Allen: Oscar Pistorius

Newsletter 93
07/05/14
John Varty interview with Sizie Modise

Newsletter 92
20/04/14
Marion's Big Cat Safari

Newsletter 91
24/02/14
Full energy flow

Newsletter 90
10/02/14
Investing in wild tigers

Newsletter 89
05/02/14
Where are the Champions?

Newsletter 88
27/01/14
Managing the Genes

Newsletter 87
16/01/14
Capture the Moment

Newsletter 86
07/12/13
The Princess Diana of Tigers - Julie:
 Sept 1999 - 5 Des 2013

Newsletter 85
26/11/13
The Communicators

Newsletter 84
26/11/13
A Letter to All Conservationists in SA 
Sparked by the whole Melissa Bachman Debacle
by Maxine Gaines

Newsletter 83
16/11/13
Tell me what happened

Newsletter 82
04/11/13
Profit is the Name of Your Game

Newsletter 81
30/10/13

Big Cat Cub Safari


Newsletter 80
18/10/13
In the Jaws of the Tiger

Newsletter 79
11/10/13
Open letter to Vice President Cyril Ramaphosa about rhino crisis

Newsletter 78
06/10/13
Open letter to Min of Defense, South Africa about rhino crisis

Newsletter 77
30/09/13
Digital Photography

Newsletter 76
06/09/13
Zoochosis

Newsletter 75
20/07/13
Rhino Horn Trade - Response

Newsletter 74
09/07/13
Raw Power

Newsletter 73
02/07/13
The Evolution of the Tracker

Newsletter 72
02/07/13
An Open Letter to the Honourable Edna Molewa, Minister of Water Affairs and Environmental Affairs

Newsletter 71
06/06/13
Using flash or spotlight on cats at night

Newsletter 70
14/05/13
Mirror mirror on the wall, who has the best eyesight of them all?

Newsletter 69
12/04/13
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fastest of them all?

Newsletter 68
25/03/13
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the best fighter of them all?

Newsletters 67
07/03/13
Wild Cheetah return to the Free State after 100 years

Newsletter 66
28/02/13
Seeking the genes

Newsletters 65
06/02/13
Corbett's Journey

Newsletters 64
22/01/13
In Search of a Mate

Newsletters 63
11/01/13
Rumble in the Jungle

Newsletters 62
30/10/12
Voronin Big Cat Safari Breaks All Records

Newsletters 61
09/12/12
A Journey to Nowhere

Newsletter 60
03/10/12
The John Hume Approach

Newsletter 59
28/09/12
Response to Rhino Horn Auction

Newsletters 58
24/09/12
A Letter to John Hume, SA biggest Rhino Breeder

Newsletters 57
05/09/12
Newsletters 56
01/08/12
Indian Government -
the wrong decision

Newsletter 55
11/07/12
What price must beauty pay?

Newsletter 54
21/04/12
Corbett's Freedom

Newsletter 53
15/04/12
Lethal injection or Freedom

Newsletters 52
04/04/12
The anatomy of an aggressive tiger

Newsletters 51
14/02/12
Majestic, breathtaking pictures

Newsletters 50
04/11/11
Tigress Calendar

Newsletters 49
19/11/11

Let your pictures do the talking

Newsletters 48
26/09/11

Rhino Wars

Newsletters 47
06/09/11
A Letter to the President

Newsletters 46
08/08/11
The Body Parts Scam

Newsletters 45
11/07/11
Tiger Subspecies

Newsletters 43
01/05/11
Your future and the Tiger

Newsletter 42
08/05/11
Talk to Me

Newsletter 41
26/01/11
Gaian Reminder

Newsletter 40
18/11/10
Ron's Journey

Newsletter 39
20/10/10
"Descreprimate"

Newsletter 38
06/09/10
Beauty comes at a price

Newsletter 37
18/08/10

The Light Has Gone Out


Newsletter 36
08/07/10
The Beautiful Game

Newsletter 35
05/07/10
The Ethics of
Tiger Green Hunting

Newsletter 34
21/06/10
Tiger Hunt

Newsletter 33
26/05/10
The Year of the Tiger

Newsletter 32
11/02/10

Riding the Tiger


Newsletter 31
24/01/10

Runti's Journey


Newsletter 30
12/01/10

To intervene or not to intervene -
that is the question...

Newsletter 29
07/12/09

Lion - Tiger - Human Communication


Newsletter 28
12/11/09

Emotional humans, emotional cats


Newsletter 27
03/11/09

Julie gives birth to 5 tiger cubs


Newsletter 26
24/09/09

International Tiger Day


Newsletter 25
17/08/09

To all Photographers


Newsletter 24
16/07/09

A Shot in Anger


Newsletter 22
24/04/09


Newsletter 21
24/03/09


Newsletter 19
14/01/09

Tiger Birth
at Tiger Canyons


Newsletter 16
10/10/08

Tiger Courting


Newsletter 11
29/01/08

Privatizing the Tiger


Newsletter 9
27/10/07

Newsletter 8
28/09/07

Newsletter 7
14/09/07

Water Cats


Newsletter 6
14/08/07

Tiger Intelligence


Newsletter 5
16/05/07

Tiger language
Tiger Boma


Newsletter 3
09/03/07

Interspecies communication


Newsletter 2
06/02/07

Cub relocation


Londolozi
Newsletters

Death of a Legend
17/08/09


Newsletter 20
10/02/09

Newsletter 15
17/08/08

Painted Wolves


Newsletter 13
11/04/08

Response to Elephant Trust
by Daryl Balfour


Newsletter 12
09/04/08

Elephant Trust