Molewa fell ill while accompanying Ramaphosa to China earlier this month. She died at a Pretoria Hospital, aged 61.

ends intro

The ruling African National Congress endorsed President Cyril Ramaphosa remarks that Edna Molewa’s death was a devastating loss. She was Water and Environmental Affairs Minister for eight years.

Opposition parties paid tribute to Molewa’s work protecting the environment and particularly in fighting the poaching of rhino and elephant.

The World Wildlife Fund paid tribute to her significant contribution to safeguarding the environment and noted that on her watch there had been a decline in rhino deaths these past three years.

Five years ago the WWF gave Molewa its highest honour, the Gift To The Earth Award.

Figures released in Friday showed 508 rhinos had been poached nationally between the beginning of the year and end of August, compared with 691 deaths  last year.

Elephants, however, are falling prey to poachers in greater numbers. 58 of the giant beast have been killed for their tusks in the Kruger National Park – South Africa largest game reserve – this year.

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An environmental summit at a Botswana game reserve’s heard the African elephant could be extinct in the wild within a few decades.

Their host’s saying the gathering of delegates from 20 countries is about getting high-level political commitments to significantly reduce the killing of elephants.

The summit in Kasane’s heard of an alarming decline in
elephant numbers due to poaching for ivory.

The species could be extinct within one or two decades if the trend continues.

Latest figures from the International Union for
Conservation of Nature, show that the African elephant population has dropped from 550 000 in 2006 to       470 000 in 2013.
East Africa has seen the worst decline, from 150 000 to about 100 000.

Accused of fuelling ivory trade, China’s represented in Botswana along with other Asian delegates and those from Africa and Europe.

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It’s hoped the measure that came into effect yesterday will reduce the demand for African tusks that fuels poaching.

China’s State Forestry Administration, announcing the one-year ban on importing ivory, says it’s hoped this will be a first step towards protecting wild elephants who could be wiped out in parts of Africa in the next few years.

China is the world’s largest importer of smuggled tusks.

Beijing’s stepped up efforts to target illegal trading, which has been fuelled by a desire for ivory from an increasingly affluent population.

A government official said China will evaluate the effect on elephant protection before taking further, more effective steps.

China has around 150 licensed shops selling ivory.

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