SA, Vietnam take rhino by the horn

2011-09-27 18:08

Johannesburg - The first draft of a pact between South Africa and Vietnam on stopping the trade in rhino horn will be discussed in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Officials from both countries will seek to find agreement on a memorandum of understanding, the environmental affairs department said.

Also on the agenda was a discussion on illegal hunting and trafficking in wildlife.

The focus would be on fighting the slaughter of rhino in South Africa by smugglers who sold the horns as an aphrodisiac in the East.

"These discussions will work out the detail of the memorandum," department spokesperson Albi Modise said.

"Once the detail is worked out, we will pass the first draft on to the department of international relations and co-operation to be formalised."

Modise said several bilateral discussions between the two governments had laid the groundwork for the memorandum.

- SAPA