4 CHEETAHS ON THE LOOSE AROUND KURUMAN, SPOTTED

Following a massive search and rescue operation that was unleashed yesterday, the four cheetahs on the prowl near Kuruman’s villages of Tsineng, Matlhwaring and Ga-Sese River have been spotted five kilometres away.

This according to the Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Land Reform and Rural Development that has been joined in the operation by the Cheetah Outreach Foundation and the police.

“The terrain became difficult in the Severn area which caused the members to stop the search.

“The last area where the cheetahs were spotted was about 5km away from the community. The two farm owners in the area of Severn and Paul’s Roux have been activated to be on the alert and inform the Police upon spotting the animals. The search will continue today,” explained departmental spokesperson Zandile Luphahla.

Choppers from the Cheetah Outreach Foundation and the department’s veterinary unit are reportedly on standby for the darting of the predators.

“MEC Mase Manopole is calling on the community to be patient and calm as the team led by the Police is working hard to catch the cats.

“She also called on the community to ignore videos, voice clips and pictures which are circulated on social media, demonstrating that the cheetahs have been caught and killed.

“We will continue to give regular updates as the search is unfolding. Our team will also be in contact with the communities around the areas where the cheetahs were spotted to give updates,” added Luphahla.

The origin of the cheetahs have not yet been confirmed but there is speculation that they could have moved in from Botswana.

By Thabo Mothibi – thabo@ncnn.live

Search And Rescue: The four cheetahs that are at large have been spotted.
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Thabo Mothibi is a former broadcast journalist (TV and Radio) – with specialist reporting experience; SABC Political/Parliamentary and TRC Teams over a period of five years (1995 to 2000).

One key foreign assignment - is the 11-nation African Connection Rally – overland journey from Africa’s northern-most pole in the coastal Tunisian city of Bizerte to the southern-most pole in South Africa’s Cape Agulhas. From the journalistic years, Thabo then delved into Government media liaison and serving two former Ministers and three MECs. He became the Northern Cape Provincial Government’s first department based Communications Director at Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development - 2008-2010 – where he also served as Head of Ministry from 2003 – 2008.

As a former anti-apartheid activist, his political background and professional training aided him in spearheading the Northern Cape ANC’s 2004 National Elections media and publicity campaign and that of the 2006 Local Government Elections.

Whilst based in Waterkloof in Pretoria -2010 to end 2011, he consulted for Manstrat Agricultural Intelligence, then returned to the Northern Cape in 2012 to date, to consult independently and pursue other entrepreneurial interests in media and communications through KwaVuko Communications and Marketing.

Thabo Mothibi obtained his NQF7 through Wits University’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management (P&DM) in Johannesburg, a Unilever Mandela Rhodes Academy for Marketing and Communications Academy (UMRA). The goal of the NQF7 programme was to educate and train public and private sector professional communicators and marketers in government communications..

Cheetah Outreach FoundationGa-Sese RiverKurumanMase ManopoleMatlhwaring VillageSevernTsineng VillageZandile Luphahla
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