CITES' dark underbelly surfaces in Geneva

Kitso Mokaila. PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Kitso Mokaila. PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO

A dark picture of greed, corruption and betrayal is emerging behind the scenes, amidst the high tension at the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting underway in Geneva, Switzerland.

By press time yesterday, Botswana and neighbours, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa were staring defeat in the face, in their proposal for future sales of their substantial ivory stocks.

Another proposal, for Zambia’s elephants to join those from Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa on Appendix II where trade is theoretically possible, was also looking impossible.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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