Africa vs Africa: Inside the latest challenge to ivory trade
Tuesday, October 04, 2022 | 2180 Views |
In the wild: Tourists on mekoro spot an elephant in the Delta. Hunting tourism and other activities PIC: MBONGENI MGUNI
The often-repeated allegations of expensive flights, fancy dinners, gifts and bribes paid by influential NGOs to African delegates in exchange for support against ivory trade proposals are resurfacing ahead of the key Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species summit. Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI reports
News that four West African countries, Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Mali and Senegal want the upcoming meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to essentially bar Botswana and her neighbours from exporting elephant products, has been met with bewilderment amongst Batswana.
That sounds like good news. But the report also warns that this may simply be because our digital economy is still young, not because we are safe. As more people shop, bank and pay online, criminals will follow.We Batswana do not need a report to tell us that danger is real. Many of us have heard of or fallen victim to KYC scams. A caller impersonates your bank or mobile money provider. They say they need to “verify” your account. They ask...