I received a copy of the WWF South Africa Constitution three days ago. I was in for an unpleasant surprise. Clause 8.2 states as follows:
‘The Board may at any time in their discretion require a member in writing to resign from the Voluntary Association and the member to whom such a request has been addressed shall cease to be a member within 1 (one) calendar month of the date of such request.’
In other words, WWF South Africa can kick you out whenever they like, for whatever reason and regardless of my opposition to this move, my over 30 years as a member and a combined period of over 20 years in two stints as a trustee – I was asked to take up this position a second time by the chairman of the board after resigning.
If you have read the exchange of correspondence in the “‘Expelled’ from WWF South Africa” blog post, you can make up your own mind why I have been summarily expelled without a hearing.
I believe I have been expelled because I am a hunter and a believer in sustainable use as the most important weapon in an African conservationist’s tool box.
But the response of WWF South Africa, given the current make-up of its board, comes as no surprise to me. As I wrote to a university professor friend yesterday who found the attitude of WWF incomprehensible:
‘They are caught between the advice of scientists, experienced field officers and organisations like IUCN, which advise that fair chase hunting on a sustainable basis is the cornerstone on which conservation is based in Africa, on the one hand, and their target funding market which, for the most part, is made up of wealthy, aged urbanites in developed countries, on the other hand. My hunting background outweighed my usefulness, particularly when two things happened – my photograph was used by a rival NGO to back their allegations that WWF was complicit with safari outfitters in committing atrocities on Pygmies in the rainforests, on the one hand, and I was asking awkward questions about their lack of written, regularly communicated strategic and action plans and reports on their performance measured against these plans, on the other hand.
So, I was expelled without a hearing on the pretext that I was asking awkward questions, did not like the CEO – who I do not know personally but think is lacking the professional managerial skills they desperately need – and not taking an active interest in the affairs of WWF. If this was the truth and they were to be consistent, a large number of their other members and trustees are about to be expelled as well.
I am afraid that WWF South Africa is not only confused as to what it is, where it is going and how to get there but also cannot make up its mind whether it is a serious, holistic, biodiversity conservation organisation based on science (as it once was) or a panderer to Western, liberal, academic led, knee-jerk anti-hunting, animal rightist propaganda in order to raise money for Heaven knows what ends. Right now it is clearly the latter. Sorry, a bit longwinded I know. But there you have it.’
The following letter from their CFO sealed my fate:
Dear Mr Peter Flack,
Re: Termination of Membership
We refer to your letter dated 9 November 2016.
As you have requested, we have enclosed a copy of our Constitution.
In terms of clause 8.2 of the Constitution, the only requirement to terminate your membership is a request to you for your resignation. We have accordingly provided you with the requisite request for resignation and therefore your membership shall terminate with effect from 31 December 2016, being one calendar month from the date of our request, notwithstanding your refusal to resign.
We further reserve our right to respond more fully to your letter if necessary.
Sincerely,
Stephen Abrahams
Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary, WWF-SA
What to do? Do I instruct my attorneys to take the matter on judicial review on the basis that the decision is contrary to the rules of natural justice – which it clearly is as I was never given the opportunity to confront my accusers or put forward my side i.e. the audi alterem partem rule – or that it is so unreasonable no body which applied its mind to the matter would or could have come to a similar decision or do I walk away?
Let me think about it for a second. OK, I have thought about it. WWF South Africa is, in my humble opinion, becoming increasingly irrelevant in conserving the African wildlife and wildlife habitats that are my passions. So, I win the legal argument and then what? Better to apply my time, energy and funds to things that can make a difference such as The Fair Chase Guild and SA Hunters Conservation Trust, where I have been invited to become one of the three trustees. What do you think?
Peter,tell them to shove it.You are way ahead of them.Carry on with your good work.
Thanks for the kind words, Allan. Much appreciated.
Peter – I am very grateful for this incident with WWF -SA although completely agree with comments above – especially those of Mr Thomson.
I do not know you personally however your reputation precedes you.
Grateful – in that I have been mulling and fussing about whether to follow my gut (regarding WWF-SA and many of its high powered hangers on) and mobilise what Mr Thomson speaks of ‘ a re-educate South Africans’ by taking a stand. or just go with the flow and suck it up? I am totally a believer, old school and determined. I am a hunter first and foremost, from a long line of hunters. I was a game ranger for a while – the perfect bridging exercise and now I teach and put into practice the theology of sustainability. Fantastic opportunity exists in SA that resonate with you book on SA Conservation Success and here we have WWF that is clintonising and cabal (ling) for money with a very highly qualified academic as CEO who can’t lead or deal with people. I know Morne from his days at Percy Fitzpatrick and had good dealings with some of his colleagues who inspired around ‘resource economics’. I was recently funded by the TMF in a three year project and saw it fit to make a turn at WWF Head office and build a rapport. Long story short I left rather deflated and a little confused.
Interestingly Mohammed Vali Moosa also had some interesting comments about me back in 1999 ish when he was Minister of DEA indirectly through questions posed by journalist regarding controversial allegations I had made. I thought he had some balls – clearly not.
This spineless decision (resignation) is a step forward not backwards and has helped me already.
May the force be with you.
Regards
RBT Smith
Thank you for your comment and support, RBT. Much appreciated. As I pointed out to Du Plessis, no organisation, let alone WWF-South Africa, can prosper and grow without four things – Leadership, a written strategic plan produced by those who will be called upon to implement it; an action plan which reduces the strategy to measurably bite-sized bits and a comprehensive, cohesive management team with all the necessary skills. From what I can see, WWF-South Africa has none of these and hence its increasing irrelevance in conservation as opposed to grandstanding to raise money to fund their increasingly irrelevant PR programs. Kind regards, Peter
How awful Peter. I ran into the same kind of flack from WWF on when we successfully challenged the ban on catching red steenbras by recreational anglers in terms of PAJA. In essence they resorted to blatant propaganda, half-truths and jingo science, all of which was previously exposed in the court papers which WWF didn’t take the trouble to read before criticizing the judgement.
In defence of this, we exposed their propaganda in the mainstream press, and by doing so, brought the matter to the attention of the general public (not just the fishing public) who would not, otherwise, have learnt about the matter, with considerable support eventually.
So whilst I respect and agree with your decision not to waste your time challenging them legally (essentially a “closed shop” as no-one will read the court papers) I urge you to use your writing skills to publicize this matter more widely outside of hunting circles.
The problem we all face is that we preach to the converted. We need to do better and go wider than that. Animal Rightists don’t waste time preaching to their converted. In Ron Thomson’s words at yesterday’s TGA AGM, they “create an illusion and then get the public to support that illusion”. We need to dispel those illusions and create some of our own.
There are many “true” conservationists within WWF-SA. They need to learn how that previously wonderful institution is being corrupted without alienating them to our cause. People like you and Ron Thomson can do that.
So my appeal is use the passion and energy created in you by this outrage to show the general public and WWF members what wrong is being committed in their name.
Best regards,
John.
Thank you so much for your comment and support, John. Much appreciated. I have been made aware of an article on WWF to be published in the March issue of SA Hunter. It is sad to see this once great NGO, formed by one of, if not the, greatest South African businessmen, Dr Anton Rupert, reduced to the current state.
The attack on sustainable use by ARA’s is not about conservation or animal welfare, there is enough science out there to prove the role hunting plays in conserving and protecting wildlife.
Organisations such as WWF have long since evolved into financial based pyramid schemes where its very existence is dependent on donations. The personnel structure of organizations like WWF is so illustrious it requires and consumes vast amount of money sourced from donations. These are no longer wildlife aid organisations they are lifestyle enhancement corporations funded by misinformed well meaning people. Its time SARS audited WWF and other alleged” not for profit ” wildlife charities , and determine the ratio of funds for lifestyle versus goals and mission statements.
Dear Peter,
Thanks for your information,
As a result, you have suffered personal embarrassment and harm to your reputation.
I am of the view that the manner in which this matter has been dealt with and the action taken by the WWF-SA without your hearing, are effectively defamatory.
Best regards,
Bernie
Thanks for your further comments, Bernie. I agree with you. There is case law to support your view and I have thought about taking the matter further but, let us say I do and, after however many years, I win, what then? Would I want to be a member of WWF South Africa? Hell no. So it is not worth the waste of time, effort and money in my book and, as WWF South Africa become increasingly irrelevant in the conservation of our wildlife and wildlife habitats, what is the point?
Dear Peter,
It’s a strange world – the Danish branch of WWF is dominated by large landowners and people actively involved both in hunting and practical conservation. When their CEO Gitte Seeberg published some extreme anti-hunting comments like “I cannot be made to believe that you can assist in conservation by killing wild animals” they gave her the booth! Hunters and conservationists should really work hand in hand – after all we share the same goals and challenges.
Thanks, Holger. As usual your comments are spot on. Why if organisations like WWF South Africa and our hunting bodies both have the conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitats at heart do some of the supposed conservation bodies disassociate themselves from fair chase hunting on a sustainable basis? Follow the money. In my humble opinion, the common thread is that such organisations are more concerned about raising money to support their travel, entertainment, meeting, admin and PR expenses than real conservation and will do almost anything to protect their donor base. They have therefore moved away from science based conservation to whatever is in fashion as being politically correct and, given that hunting organisations have lost huge ground to the almost exclusively PR driven anti-hunting and animal rightist propaganda, they have tried to ride on its back in their money driven agendas and have been only too happy to sacrifice us hunters. Well, so be it. My proposal is that we hunters should know and understand this and focus our hard earned after tax money on where it can do the most good for real, on the ground conservation and to redress the damage done by the ant-hunting propaganda.
OK, now read the 24 November blog.
I wonder if Valli Moosa read the correspondence at al?
Cory
Thanks for your comment, Cory. I doubt that Moosa read my reply and, even if he had done so, it would have made no difference. His letter was a smokescreen. His request to me to resign was disingenuous at best and dishonest at worst because he knew that by invoking clause 8.2 of the WWF Rules and Regulations that my membership of over 30 years was terminated whether I resigned or not. The object of the exercise was simply to get rid of me because having a hunter as a trustee and member was an embarrassment.
Dear Peter,
I need hardly say ‘shocking’.
I do hope you will ask for a fuller response, specifically why you are being booted
It also seems odd that you are asked to resign; I hope you will not do so
Sterkte!
Cory Voigt
Dear Peter,
It’s very interesting Peter – in Denmark WWF is dominated by large landowners and members of the royal family – all very responsible and keen hunters, and when their CEO Gitte Seeberg went on an anti-hunting crusade last year – saying that she could not remotely understand how killing animals could assist in their preservation – she was in fact the boot!
Kind regards,
Holger
Thanks for the comments, Holger. If you read Ron Thomson’s comment on the blog you will see that each WWF country branch seems to sing from its own hymn sheet. Such a pity we do not have WWF Denmark here instead of the anti-hunting, animal rightist bunch we do.
Kindest regards, Peter
I have been saying this for years. WWF International does not insist that its national WWF offices “toe the international WWF” policy line. And WWF has, for years, been employing rabid animal rightists – who have seriously contaminated their erstwhile fine principles. So the policies of every national WWF office are determined in accordance with the personal philosophies and beliefs of the people that run them (and many of them have been seriously influenced by the animal rights doctrine). And, in my opinion, MOST national WWF offices run with the animal rightists. At the same time it must be said that one or two national WWF offices (not too many) behave responsibly with regard sustainable-wildlife-use standards. As you say: Namibia and Zimbabwe are two examples of “good” WWF offices. Does anybody know of any others?
WWF-International – in my opinion – nowadays – is decidedly pro animal rights. So WWF-International is going the way CITES has been moving for decades. Wildlife managers, therefore, are – more and more – beginning to look upon WWF with exactly the same kind of jaundiced eyes with which they now view CITES (and quite rightly so). So another once laudable international wildlife organisation bites the dust. Very soon the only people who will be behaving responsibly – with regard to wildlife management principles – will be the wildlife management practitioners themselves. And THAT will happen because only wildlife managers know what REALLY has to be done in the field of wildlife management – and they don’t stroke their political egos by complying with the populace demands of unversed urban societies (and the animal rights brigade).
For those of us who are still “believers” we have a big job ahead of us to re-educate society – with regards to what makes the world of wildlife go round. CITES doesn’t help – in fact it makes matters a whole lot worse. And WWF International cannot be relied upon anymore! Next to fall will be the IUCN – and it, too, will crash because it has recently opened its membership doors to the animal rightists. The IUCN still beats the sustainable use of wildlife (for the benefit of mankind) drum – but how is it going to operate in the future when its Born Free Foundation member (whose objectives are to ABOLISH all animal uses by man) starts to flex its muscles?
The world of wildlife has certainly gone crazy in the last several decades!
Food for thought.
Ron Thomson, True Green Alliance
Dear Peter. Even though the damage is done, I think you should (at the very least) clear your name.
Bernie
Thank you for your comment, Bernie. Not sure how I can clear my name or what I have to clear it of. WWF South Africa accused me of:
1. Not being sufficiently “involved” as a trustee;
2. Lacking support for the organisation;
3. Being “intensely critical” because I asked a number of questions about their seeming lack of written strategic and action plans and regular reporting of progress against such plans; and
4. Not contributing as an ambassador nor as an advisor.
On my blog you can read my response to these vague accusations, which I sent to them. I was not given a hearing. I was not allowed to respond to my accusers in person and my written response answering these accusations as well as my original questions have been ignored.
The inescapable conclusion is that the reasons advanced for my expulsion and the manner of giving effect to it is a smokescreen and has nothing to do with these charges. The reasons are clearly related to Survival International using a 2005 photograph of me during a legal and ethical rainforest elephant hunt in Cameroon to support a claim that WWF expelled Pygmies from the rainforest.
I have been expelled because I am a hunter and I am proud to call myself one as, amongst many other positives, we have been the driving force behind conservation in Africa, in general, and in South Africa and Namibia, in particular, for many years. I have no intention of trying to clear my name of this “crime”.
If you read my responses to WWF South Africa in my blog, you will see that I have answered their vague, unsubstantiated accusations but there has been no response from them other than to say that, in terms of their constitution, they have the sole discretion to expel members and I will cease to be one at the end of the month.
In essence, therefore, I feel no need to clear my name of anything and, even if I did and sued for reinstatement and won, which I am sure I would, what then? Would I want to be a member and trustee of a duplicitous body that has been hi-jacked by animal rightists and anti-hunters? Clearly not.
I am happy to no longer be part of WWF South Africa. They have saved me the trouble of resigning and, to the extent other hunters are members of WWF, they should give serious thought to resigning before they too are expelled.
You may also want to read Ron Thomson’s views on WWF added as a comment to my blog this morning.
Kind regards, Peter
What an interesting read! Clearly there are management problems if that is the response. It is tricky and I am all for proving a point and doing what is right. The problem is, after legal battles using both time and money the real loser here will be conservation. I think that your time and funds will be better spent on new projects focusing on true conservation. Either way you have my support. Good luck!
Thanks for the comments and support, Nicholas.
Much appreciated.
Kind regards, Peter
Dear Mr. Flack,
We hope that you and your Family are all well.
I is with great chagrin that we have read of your summmary “execution” by the SA WWF. One need not have a room temperature IQ to know that you single handedly over the years have done more not only for Wildlife in SA but in all of Africa than any other person in the World. It is not only Christa and I upon which you have had a profound effect but countless thousands or perhaps millions you have effected positively.
We support you in any action that you elect to take against this Clintonesqe style of criminal activity you elect to persue against this obvious illegal activity by these self serving thugs.
God Bless you Sir for your brave and often seemingly single handed stance for our Wildlife. It seems so often that you and those who support your brave and richeous stand are like Don Quixote an Army charging Windmills but we must never give up.
With Profound Respect,
Christa & Glenn Baker
Benton, PA USA
Thanks for your comments and support, Christa and Glenn.
Kindest regards, Peter
Peter,
Congrats on your expulsion! As one of the Marx brothers used to say, “I am not sure I would want to be a member of a club that would have me!” I do not know the WWF in South Africa but in the USA, they are anti-hunting and very pro fund raising. You have shown remarkable restraint and patience putting up with the nonsense of a group like WWF. As we have discussed in the past, especially after the “Cecil the Dead Lion” soap opera, we , as hunter’s and true conservationists must form our own group or at least affiliate with a group that is like minded and like committed.
WWF, Audubon, National Wildlife Fedederation, Sierra Club and many others are not like minded and prefer to see the natural world go the way of Kenya in the name of conservation.
Stand your ground, you won the fight by making them look at themselves and deciding you are not “worthy” to be a part of their close minded, toothless and useless club.
Let’s move on!
Ross Murphy
Oklahoma City
Thanks for the comments and support, Ross. Never nice to be thrown out of anything even if your only crime was that you are a hunter and asked a few awkward questions to which no answer was ever provided.
Kindest regards, Peter