The Democratic Alliance remains deeply concerned by the state of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) and is circumspect about a new list of shortlisted candidates to serve on the entity’s Board.
The 19 shortlisted names were recently revealed to members of KZN’s Conservation and Environmental Affairs portfolio during oversight inspections which again laid bare the shocking degradation of Ezemvelo facilities.
While the names cannot be revealed at this stage, the DA views the proposed board as fundamentally flawed. Critically, only a handful of the proposed members have any environmental or biological sciences background, with most candidates being qualified in the financial, human resource and accounting industries.
The DA will certainly not support the current shortlist as it stands, and calls on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) MEC Ravi Pillay to again advertise the positions.
Meanwhile, the recent oversight inspections have shown clearly that EKZNW is unable to manage its more than R1 billion annual budget. This as its facilities within Drakensberg World Heritage sites have been left to ruin.
Proposals to take disciplinary action against errant park managers are welcomed, while the employment of technical maintenance teams and heavy plant operators to fix roads is long overdue.
The oversight has meanwhile revealed the following:
• Didima: One of the better resorts, Didima has serious maintenance requirements to the tune of R19 million. The facility has not received internal maintenance funding since 2018
• Didima Camp site: Highly sought after by hikers, this community campsite has been vandalised and no longer operates as a community project. (view here) The campsite could potentially earn R500 000 for local residents, yet the site is ironically forced to remain closed due to community conflict, This despite extensive negotiations
• Injusuthi: With a road so neglected by Ezemvelo that even 4×4 vehicles battle to reach it, Injusuthi is a prime example of bad management. One of the chalets was blown up in a gas explosion, while renovations to nine of the units have been identified as sub-standard
• Chelmsford Nature Reserve – Newcastle: Simple maintenance has been terribly neglected in this potentially lucrative dam-based reserve. Cracked walls, blocked gutters, broken ceilings, tattered furniture and a potholed entrance road are a few of the issues facing the resort and;
• Ngoye Forest Reserve-Mtunzini region: A tragic display of poor project management has led to R15.5 million in new chalets and a managers’ residence being vandalised to bare walls (view here). Initiated in 2017 in a joint venture with National Government, the chalets were 95% complete when work stopped due to the incorrect placement of a structure. Over time, two different community-based security groups were deployed to protect the buildings and when they failed, a private security firm was employed. All of this has eroded the construction budget and eventually the project was abandoned. Today, the chalets are completely stripped and covered in cow dung while Ezemvelo staff continue to be harassed and threatened. Ngoye, like the Didima campsite, was meant to be a revenue-generating project for local communities.
It is clear that KZN’s Conservation and Environmental Affairs committee will not tolerate the ongoing rot in Ezemvelo.
The DA will continue to support the portfolio in holding this entity to account. The practical suggestions and solutions recommended by the portfolio committee will make an immediate difference to the entity and must be implemented without delay.
