The DA is encouraged by news that the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) will eventually fund the decimated Hluluwe-iMfolozi Park (HIP) boundary fence.
The announcement was made by Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) MEC, Siboniso Duma, at a portfolio committee sitting earlier today.
The national department was forced to step in because of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s (EKZNW) inability to fix its own fencing. The move also follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the provincial and national counterparts.
HIP has been systematically torn apart by poachers and disgruntled community members for years, leading to several human fatalities as lions escaped. Moreover, several elephant and an estimated 14 lions have been shot following animal escapes from HIP.
Swift implementation and sustained maintenance of the new boundary fence – coupled with strengthened community relations – are imperative in sustaining this project.
DA and EDTEA portfolio committee oversight has consistently shown up to 20km of fencing missing. In other regions, community members have vandalised or burnt hundreds of metres of smart fencing – allowing animals out and poachers in.
With the fencing funding aspect now dealt with, the DA now eagerly awaits construction timeframes, along with a raft of other conservation legislation that has yet to be tabled.
These include legislation that will allow the commercialisation of certain Ezemvelo sites, through a public private partnership that may generate revenue for the entity and allow private companies to revamp existing camps. The committee and Legislature also await a Bill that will replace the antiquated Nature Conservation Ordinance of 1974.
The DA will continue to play a strong oversight role and put pressure on both MEC Duma and Ezemvelo to ensure this newest project is not plagued by corruption. HIP must be effectively secured.