• New board must bring renewed direction.
• Ethical wildlife management is key.
• DA wishes new board well, will maintain stringent oversight.
(Note to Editors: Please note Hannah Lidgett, MPL sound bite in English)
The new appointed Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) Board must bring renewed direction to an entity that desperately needs greater financial sustainability, stronger governance and a clear strategy for protecting KZN’s wildlife.
Ezemvelo is one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most important conservation and tourism entities. It is responsible for protecting our province’s extraordinary natural heritage while managing protected areas that should be major contributors to KZN’s tourism economy.
The DA will be asking serious questions about the expertise represented among those appointed.
Board positions cannot simply be seats to fill. Every member must bring demonstrable knowledge and experience that strengthens Ezemvelo. This must include expertise in conservation, biodiversity, tourism, finance and governance, along with an understanding of the increasingly complex relationship between wildlife and communities.
Of particular concern is whether the board has sufficient expertise in ethical wildlife management.
KZN continues to face difficult questions around human-wildlife conflict, animal management and the ethical treatment and management of wildlife. Decisions in these areas cannot be made without appropriate scientific knowledge, experience and ethical oversight.
Ezemvelo needs a board capable of asking difficult questions, keeping management accountable, protecting wildlife and helping turn the entity into a financially sustainable and internationally respected conservation organisation.
The DA wishes the new board well. We will, however, exercise oversight by requesting the qualifications, experience and specific expertise of each board member.
As a valuable member of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA will continue to ensure that board appointments are merit-based and serve the people of KZN.