Harry? He’s just a rich boy on holiday, say his African critics who voice fears trip will turn into a publicity stunt
- Prince Harry is at front line of a war against the illegal trade in rhino horn
- Royal is raising awareness of a deaths of thousands of black rhino per year
- But Nambibia's minister of tourism fears trip may become publicity stunt
Prince Harry in the bush in Namibia where he has placed himself at the front line of a war against the illegal trade in rhino horn
Prince Harry’s conservation work in Africa has been mocked by critics there as being no more than an ‘adventure holiday’.
The prince, who has been keeping a low profile, is spending three months working on projects in South Africa, Botswana and Tanzania, and is currently in Namibia.
But Pohamba Shifeta, Namibia’s minister of environment and tourism, voiced fears of the royal trip turning into a publicity stunt.
After posing for photographs with the royal, he said: ‘Harry is not the first prominent person to visit Namibia and get involved with its conservation projects. We receive a lot of prominent people. We appreciate this, but we don’t want it to turn into a public relations exercise.’
Prince Harry and his brother Prince William support the charity the Tusk Trust in its stance against so-called ‘trophy hunting’, which makes it legal to hunt rare and endangered species such as rhinos, because it is not properly regulated and open to corruption.
Mr Shifeta has defended Namibia’s tolerance of the practice, and said: ‘People need to understand that the hunting of these animals is totally legal.
This is completely within the framework of our laws.’
Wonder Gochu, news editor at The Namibian, the country’s biggest selling newspaper, told the website The Daily Beast that Harry’s presence would not have any impact on poaching.
He said: ‘As long as there is a market for what the poachers are selling, Prince Harry could spend ten or 20 years in the country and that would not make any difference. He should go to China, and campaign there, say, “Please don’t buy it.”
‘How can hungry men care about whether a rhino or an elephant is killed? You are talking about somebody who has no job, who sleeps on an empty stomach. Do you really think he has time to think about what is happening in the jungle? Prince Harry has everything. Most people here don’t.
‘A man who has no shelter, no food, his focus is only on what he can get to eat.’
Harry is a member of the team working with wildlife vet Dr Peter Morkel , pictured at work in Namibia’s national park
The team sleep in roof tents on the top of their vehicles, parked in a circle around the fire, to reduce the risk from scorpions, snakes, or being trampled by bigger beasts in the night
The Prince is determined to raise awareness of a crisis which is robbing Southern Africa of thousands of black rhino each year
Mr Gochu said there were bigger things to think about that the royal visit. He added: ‘I haven’t seen any sign of Prince Harry here. They say it’s a private visit and we are not even allowed to take his picture. Why should we fuss about him when so many people are living below the poverty line, living in shacks?
‘This boy’s visit here will not change anything. People still go hungry, people who have no jobs will still have no jobs when he goes back.’
Kensington Palace said the programme was designed ‘to give [Prince Harry] a first-hand insight into the urgent challenges faced by people on the ground working to protect Africa’s natural heritage and support both wildlife and local communities.’
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