Programme director: Director-General Nosipho Ngcaba
Ministers: Buyelwa Sonjica and Gugile Nkwinti
Mayor Alderman Larkan
Representative from the Ministry of Basic Education, Professor Linda Chisholm
Deputy Director-General of Biodiversity and Conservation Mr Fundisile Mketeni
Vice Chancellor of the University of Zululand Professor Fikile Mazibuko
Chairperson of iSimangaliso Wetland Park Mr Mavuso Msimang
Chairperson of Pick 'n Pay Mr Gareth Ackerman
Chairperson of the National Lottery Board Professor Nevhutanga
Chief executive officers of public entities
Distinguished guests
Participants
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
Introduction and background
I am proud to be associated with this programme, People and Parks and the strides this programme continues to make. Interestingly, we have just hosted a very successful Women and Environment Conference as part of our celebrations for August as the Women's Month.
This conference which we are hosting today, fourth People and Parks Conference, has one thing in common with the women's conference in that they both are meant to address issues affecting vulnerable people in poor and rural areas of our country.
When we delivered the budget vote speech for the Department of Environmental Affairs this year, we committed this department to a fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of the indigenous biological resources.
Our national parks must be considered as being more than just mere areas of beauty and wonder; they are also a resource for the country. The Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing (BABS) Regulations, will continue to be a key instrument in furthering sustainable utilisation and flowing of benefits to communities.
Significance of the People and Parks programme
During the colonial days, the creation of parks often resulted in communities being forcibly relocated to new areas, or losing their land. This displaced our people and resulted in alienated communities, some of whom were settled outside newly created parks.
Reserves were fenced off and communities lost their access to resources within the reserves. This resulted in our people, despite their history of conservation, being ostracised.
Given this context, it is a painful reality that the process of establishing parks and protected areas before the advent of democracy in South Africa was characterised by the alienation of the majority people from their land and property.
As a consequence, conservation became elitist and access to parks required social privileges. There was little or no consideration for communities who were seen as threats to the environment.
Over the past three years, the Department of Environmental Affairs has been implementing the People and Parks programme. This programme is in response to the World Parks Congress Conference of Parties (COP7) which emphasised the need to consider communities as stakeholders in parks by specifically focusing on governance, participation, equity and benefit sharing for communities.
Between 2004 and 2008, three major People and Parks conferences were held. These provided us all with platforms for engagement, sharing of lessons learnt, highlighting challenges and exchanging best practice approaches. It is through such engagements that we have shaped the progress of the People and Parks Programme in South Africa.
In particular they have contributed largely towards shaping the implementation of the progress of the programme through the development of the People and Parks Action Plan.
Owing to the new democratic dispensation that has restored the dignity of all South Africans, we have observed fundamental changes to the attitude of protected areas management agencies and owners. This must be recognised and seen as part of our pro-poor approach to development and economic growth.
Whilst in the past people were excluded from playing a constructive role in the protection of the environment, today people are becoming shareholders and new practices for protected areas are being created.
Programme challenges and way forward
The People and Parks programme faces the challenges that include, but not restricted to, the resolution of land claims and the slow pace of land reform, delays in the settlements and co-management agreements for settled land claims in protected areas, transfer of grants linked to the settled land claims, lack of support from protected area managers.
We should work together as a collective to ensure that we deal with this challenge before our people grow restless with us. Our people cannot postpone their hunger and it is incumbent upon us all to ensure we address these challenges.
This conference should craft a way forward for us all, in line with the new direction on the following proposed areas, namely: strengthening the protected areas network, rural development in the context of protected areas, land reform, co-management, capacity building, awareness and education, financing mechanisms and partnerships.
Launch of the People and Parks publication
Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud of the progress we have made over the years. To this effect, the Department of Environmental Affairs is taking a further step today by launching the People and Parks publication.
This publication documents our journey from the days when issues of land ownership clashed with efforts to conserve natural resources to an era when the country committed itself to protecting and upholding the rights of communities in the conservation of our rich natural and associated cultural heritage resources.
When the history of our struggle and efforts to reconcile the two is written, I am hopeful this will be a reference book.
The publication will present the identified experiences in a simple, comprehensible and user friendly language for key stakeholders such as funding institutions, conservation agencies, government departments, the private sector and the general public.
The publication will also provide a synthesis of how the country is meeting its obligations and commitments in terms of global and national imperatives such as the World Parks Congress outcomes, the Convention on Biological Diversity, Programme of Work on Protected Areas, transformation and other relevant national plans and programmes.
It is envisaged that the coverage of the People and Parks programme on the publication will enable and enhance replication of best cases elsewhere in the country and globally.
In conclusion, I want to appeal to all delegates and participants to craft amicable resolutions during your deliberations throughout the conference that would guide the department in the implementation of the People and Parks programme.
Working together we can do more.
Please allow me to launch the People and Parks publication.
Thank you.
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs
Address by Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Mme Rejoice Mabudafhasi at the fourth People and Parks National Conference, University of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal
