ELEPHANT TSWALE DESERVES TO BE RESCUED TO LIVE A FREE LIFE

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Two years ago, on Friday 17th of February 2023, Members of the Pro Elephant Network (PREN) sent an urgent open letter the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) and the MEC, about an elephant called Tswale. Tswale was being used for human interactions on a piece of land, called Lowhills, advertised to be auctioned under a liquidation order on the 23rd February 2023. 

The PREN letter followed two previous communications to the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency on the 30th September and 16th of November 2022. Neither were acknowledged.  

The factual history of Tswale’s life is that he is a bull elephant who was captured and removed from their family at Selati Private Game Reserve in 2004 aged 9 with a female elephant named Modjadji aged 11. 

He was sent to Elephants for Africa Forever(EFAF) , a controversial elephant “training” facility in Limpopo. In 2006, Tswale and Modjadji were sold to Kwa Madwala Private Game Reserve in Hectorspruit in Mpumalanga where they were forced into the elephant back safari business. 

In 2019, the EMS Foundation offered the owners of Modjaji and Tswale the opportunity to retire the elephants unfortunately this offer was rejected.  This offer would have included the undertaking of the necessary medical and behavioural assessments of both elephants. 

In 2022, chained and unable to escape, Modjaji and Tswale were frightened by hunters and a herd of wild elephants who entered the property where they were being held. Tswale and Modjaji, because they were chained were both injured, Modjaji, sadly, was not able to recover from her injury.  In May 2023, with permission from the then owner, a veterinarian checked Tswale’s physical condition and blood samples were taken.  It was confirmed at that time, that he could be safely relocated depending on the method of relocation involved, the distances involved and of course, the time of year. 

On the 1^st March 2024, Ms Nomcebo Kunene, the acting senior manager of Biodiversity Conservation at the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, asserted that the Lowhills elephant interaction business, run by Sonelle Joubert and Johan Moller, lacked the necessary permits for elephant human interactions. According to Ms Nomcebo Kunene, Joubert needed both a display permit and a holding permit. MTPA contends that Joubert is not complying with certain requirements, such as an Elephant Management Plan,  and therefore the MTPA could not issue her with any permits.

The farm known as Lowhills where Tswale is being held, was purchased by Shofeeds (Pty) Ltd in the liquidation sale. Mr Johan Moller and Ms Sonelle Joubert were living on the farm at the time of the sale.  Shofeeds (Pty) Ltd was forced to apply for an urgent interdict against Moller and Joubert when they refused to vacate the land and continued to sell human interactions with Tswale on the property and without the necessary authorisations and permit. . 

Furthermore, according to reports, Shofeeds (Pty) Ltd asked the court to have Moller and Joubert prohibited from excavating, removing or selling gravel, from cutting, collecting or selling firewood and from arranging or allowing any motor vehicle rallies or similar events on the Lowhills property.

The application in the High Court, Mpumalanga Division Mbombela, was unopposed as Judge Mashile found that the respondents did not comply with the rules of the court by handing in their opposing documents in on time, the Judge granted an interdict to the owners of the farm, Shofeeds, a company from Parys.  In June 2024 it was reported that the Moller and Joubert had ignored the interdict. 

It goes without saying that the EMS Foundation has continued to be extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of Tswale, but because Moller or Joubert do not have permits to keep Tswale, all the responsibility for Tswale’s welfare and wellbeing is deferred to the State.  

This concern was exacerbated when on the 23^rd January 2025, the EMS Foundation received an urgent communication from a Mr Jurgens Nel.  According to the content of a communication Mr Nel had also allegedly sent other NGO’s and government officials the same information. 

It has, subsequently,  been widely reported that Sonelle Joubert appeared before the Tonga Magistrate’s Court on the 10^th February 2025 after being arrested for the murder of Jurgens Nel. Johan Moller was, according to reports,  also arrested on a contempt of court charge relating to ongoing high court proceedings regarding the Lowhills property. He was released when he paid the R80 000.00 contempt of court charge. 

The EMS Foundation is relieved to hear, according to media reports, that the MTPA, supported by relocation experts will, with the permission of the rightful owner of the property, and with the assistance of the authorities, be in a position to safely enter the property where Tswale is being held. We trust that Tswale will be safely evacuated and relocated, when all the conditions are in his favour and that he will be moved to a place of safety where he will no longer be utilised for human interactions or monetary gain and where he can live a life as an elephant should, free of human shenanigans.

17th February 2025

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