Tswale, the well-known and controversial Lowveld elephant, and his decade-long handler, Amos Jivendava, are together at an undisclosed location.

This was the assurance, amid a sea of misinformation suggesting they had been separated, given by Dereck Milburn, the owner of WeWild Africa.

Tswale has been removed from Lowhills Farm by a professional relocation team, under the auspices of the MTPA, WeWild Africa and Provet Wildlife Services, on the strength of a court order Shofeeds, the owners of the farm, obtained from the Mpumalanga High Court.

The bull had been kept at Lowhills for a number of years where he had been interacting with humans as orchestrated by his owner, Sonell Joubert.

ALSO READ: New life winking for Tswale the Lowhills elephant

“We really do care deeply for Tswale’s well-being. That is why we would go the extra mile to ensure his safety and that he has a great future.
We are even willing to contribute financially to ensure he has the best possible future,” Adv Johnna Kruger and lawyer Stefan Scheepers told Lowvelder during an exclusive online interview.

They represent Shofeeds.

Kruger said that after months of “being made out as the bad guys” in the Shofeeds saga, they decided to go on record to clear any misconceptions about Tswale and his future.

ALSO READ: Tswale must be moved, Mbombela High Court orders

He said that they have no issues with Tswale, Jivendava or Joubert, they just don’t want the animal on their farm.

Background

Since February 2020, when Shofeeds, owned by Pieter Tolmay and Elko Hentschel from Parys in the Free State, bought Lowhills on a liquidation auction, they have been up against Johann Möller.

At the time, Möller was one of the directors of the bankrupt Pieriesfontein Boerdery Pty (Ltd).

“He refused to leave the farm as he claimed that he was still the owner. This led to a costly and drawn-out legal battle to have him evicted from the property,” Kruger said (see timeline).

“During May last year we established that Tswale was being used by Joubert for human interaction. This was a great concern, especially considering the possible legal consequences Shofeeds could face if someone got hurt or killed during such interaction. We also found that Möller and Joubert were stripping wood and sand from the farm and selling it. We then had to intervene by getting a court order to have Tswale removed from the farm,” Kruger said.

ALSO READ: A storm erupts: Tswale’s future uncertain

However, the court order was ignored by Möller and Joubert.

Shofeeds then successfully applied for a contempt of court order. This order was served on Möller and Joubert during Joubert’s appearance in the Tonga Magistrate’s Court following allegations of her involvement in a murder case.

Where is Tswale now?

The MTPA confirmed in a statement on Monday, February 24, that Tswale was accompanied by his lifelong caregiver, Jivendava, to ensure he was as comfortable as possible during the relocation process.

“He is currently at a veterinary facility where he is undergoing a quarantine period. He will then be moved to an already identified and confirmed nature reserve where he can live a wild, free life with a herd of elephants. He will undergo a rewilding process with the support of Jivendava. The MTPA would like to thank everyone involved in helping us to make this operation a success,” said the MTPA’s acting CEO, Justus Mohlala.

“The MTPA will continue to work with key stakeholders to ensure that Tswale settles well at the identified place of safety. He will be, after the period of quarantine, translocated to the identified park.”

Milburn confirmed the above and added that Tswale will be undergoing a battery of medical assessments and treatment to ensure he is in perfect health.

“He is eating well and shows no signs of any stress due to the relocation. Jivendava is constantly in his presence and Tswale has no human interaction besides the veterinary team and his carer.”

It had been claimed that Jivendava ‘confirmed’ on numerous occasions on a social media platform that he did not know where Tswale was after the relocation. Milburn claimed that Jivendava had been harassed on his phone by a number of people, and that is why he told people he did not know where Tswale was.

“Amos joined the relocation voluntarily. We gave him a new SIM card and he was also employed on a permanent basis as the caretaker of the elephant bull,” Milburn said.

Tswale’s location is top secret. The authorities and all parties involved in his relocation signed a non-disclosure agreement.