Minister Edna Molewa’s speech at the launch of the 2015 SA National Parks Week Marakele National Park, Limpopo
Program Director,
Honorable Premier of Limpopo Province: Mr Stan Mathabatha,
Honorable MEC for the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs: Mr Seapora Sekoati,
Honorable Executive Mayor of Waterberg District Municipality: Cllr N R Mogotlane,
Honorable Mayor of Thabazimbi Local Municipality: Cllr P A Mosito,
Honorable Mayor of Lephalale Local Municipality, Cllr J M Maeko,
Honorable Mayor of Modimolle Local Municipality, Cllr K E Lekalakala,
Chief Executive Officers of Total SA, Mr. Christian de Closier & First National Bank, Mr. Danny Zandamela our most valued partners in the hosting of the citizens of our country to national parks,
All Councilors present,
CEO of SANParks, Mr Fundisile Mketni,
Officials from various departments,
Members of media,
Distinguished Guests,
Our honoured guests, the communities present,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Let me begin by thanking you for making the time to join us here today in the Marakele National Park in the Limpopo Province. In particular our honoured guests from the communities who have made time to be with us.
Marakele, as the name suggests, is a Place of Sanctuary..not just for the impressive variety of wildlife but also for you, the people who for centuries have lived in this beautiful place.
It is out of the need to promote our parks as havens of tranquility for our people, in harmony with nature – that the idea of a National Parks Week focus week was first conceived in 2006. Every year, at this time, we focus our efforts on encouraging all South Africans to share in what SANParks calls “a sustainable National Park system connecting society”.
Premier Mathabatha, MEC Sekoati, and you, the people of Marakele – you must know that your province is the envy of us, the city-dwellers!
It prides itself on having beauty and heritage equal to none: from bushveld and majestic mountains, to indigenous forests and unspoilt wilderness.
It has important sites that tell the story of our heritage and culture. I’m told for instance that there are a vast array of Iron-age sites here at Marakele - that open a window into a distant, distant past that long predates any of us.
It is significant that this national park, which was previously known as the Kransberg National Park, was first proclaimed in 1994, the very year of the birth of the new South Africa.
On occasions such as this one, I like to emphasize that although Mother Nature indeed does play a role in the preservation of the fine vistas and rolling hills of our national parks..their pristine condition owes much to the efforts of the people who live here.
You, the people, call this place home. It is you who possess intimate knowledge of every animal, every plant and every bush that we have here. It is you who know the behaviour and habit of every animal here. It is you who know exactly what plant can be used for what, and how much.
This indigenous knowledge, passed down from generation to generation – has played a big role in the conservation of the natural flora and fauna of the Marakele National Park. And for this I thank you, on behalf of all South Africans.
Under apartheid, the men, women and children of this community, and countless other communities countrywide, were denied the pleasure of visiting nature reserves and protected areas.
It has been thanks to this government, your government, led by the African National Congress, that the children of Marakele, who were born in or after 1994 – will never feel what their parents and grandparents felt to be denied entry to a protected area on their ancestral land.
SA National Parks Week
During South African National Parks week, which runs from 14th to 18th September - all South Africans, including members of this community, can visit any of our national parks for free. SANParks is also arranging programmes to attract more visitors from communities like this one, to our national parks.
Whilst we are proud to see returning visitors at Marakele National Park, what we are particularly proud of is when we see first-time visitors.
To all the men, women and children living in the Thabazimbi Local Municipality, you are the true ambassadors for our environment, and for our country.
During not only National Parks Week, but throughout the year, we encourage to discover more of our country, to learn about it and from it, and if you haven’t already done so, fall in love with its rich beauty.
Premier Mathabatha, MEC Sekoati,
The community members we have present here today should feel a great sense of pride that their efforts in conserving this National Park has turned it into a world-class tourism destination.
The visitors who come here don’t just come for the natural beauty - they also come to experience the warmth of the people.
Through direct contact and interaction with communities whose members are working in the Park, or during cultural tours to villages outside the park: they come to a new, greater appreciation and understanding of South Africa.
We mark SA National Parks Week at a time when we face the challenge of transnational, organized syndicates involved in the illegal wildlife trade. Rhino poaching in particular continues to be a problem for our country.
Earlier this month together with the Ministers of Defence and Police, I reported-back on progress achieved on the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros.
The figures are sobering: in the Kruger National Park, which has been hardest hit by poaching, there are up to 12 active poacher groups inside the park at any given time.
Whilst we are stepping up compulsory interventions such as improved policing and intelligence gathering, I have repeatedly emphasized that solving this problem requires the involvement of our communities who live alongside our wildlife.
Just this week the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) awarded its highest accolade, the “Champions of the Earth” award to the Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit. The award was for “outstanding courage in fighting the illegal wildlife trade at community level.”
UNEP noted that “restoring dignity and self-worth, and empowering communities to play their part, is a crucial component of efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade across the globe.”
These words affirm that communities (like those living alongside the Marakele National Park) have a key role to play in preventing the illegal trade in wildlife.
Poaching doesn’t just put money into the hands of criminal gangs, it also increases insecurity and crime in your community, and threatens your livelihoods.
To address this problem, we as government have a number of strategies in place to address creating alternative livelihoods for communities such as this one. We know that in rural, far-flung areas such as this one, unemployment rates are high.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We cannot achieve our objectives unless we uplift the communities in the area.
Our national parks aren’t just places of beauty – the are a source of job creation and skills development.
Through the Expanded Public Works Programmes currently being implemented by SANParks –we areproviding income relief for the unemployed through temporary work, enabling them to carry out socially useful activities.
Our Eco-Factories are an example of this. We are working with the Department of Basic Education to address the needs of our many schools around the country by making quality school 5from wood from invasive alien trees.
These six factories, including one in Limpopo, in Makhado, create work opportunities and facilitate skills development for thousands of our young people, with a budgetary commitment from government of R165 million.
We have so far delivered more than 250 000 school desks to needy schools around the country.
Last year, we as the Department of Environmental Affairs handed over 300 school desks right here in Limpopo Province to the Legana Batho Primary School in Apel.
Other quality furniture being produced in these factories are benches for pensioners’ queues, chests and tables.
Currently the project is being implemented over a period of three years, but is expected to be expanded as the project progresses in the long term.
I am proud to announce, Ladies and Gentlemen, that all the wooden furniture here at Bontle Tented Camp, which I will speak more of later - was made in one of our Eco-Factories in Ficksburg and another satellite factory.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We currently have a national park estate of 4 million hectares. Managing such a huge conservation estate necessitates continuous investment in infrastructure, to ensure operations are run optimally and tourists can enjoy our wonderful parks.
To this end, since 2001 two major government funded programmes have been under implementation; namely:
- Environmental Programmes (EP’s) implemented through the EPWP
- The Infrastructure Development Programme (IDP)
Between 1970 to 1994 there was limited capital investment in national parks - which impacted the state of infrastructure in these parks.
The Department of Environmental Affairs approved R 258 million for a three year cycle as part of the then “Poverty Relief Programme”. Two more cycles of EPWP funding has been made available for infrastructure - resulting in an investment of R 720 million over a period of ten years.
These “People and Parks” infrastructure projects created 18 200 temporary jobs over the period of implementation.
The Infrastructure Development Programme is currently in the third implementation cycle since 2004 with a total of R 1.7 billion made available through MTEF infrastructure investment allocations.
Between the EPWP and Infrastructure Development Programme, R 2.4 billion has been invested in new and upgraded infrastructure in national parks since 2001.
Bontle Tented Camp
The Bontle Tented Camp, that we are launching here today, is one of the products of the Infrastructure Development Programme of SANParks.
The tented camp was developed to increase the number of beds in Marakele National Park, which is ideally situated to serve the Gauteng, North West and Limpopo markets. Bontle Tented Camp has 10 accommodation units, adding 28 tourism beds to the Parks tourism inventory.
These units were developed to supplement the product offering of the popular Bontle Camp Site, and the design of tented units with own ablutions and a kitchen was specific to this site.
The total cost of development which includes the units, bulk services supply (water, sewer and electricity) and furnishings was R4.5 million.
We as government have continued to prioritize ensuring that the benefits of such infrastructure development accrue to previously disadvantaged suppliers.
The construction of the tented camp was done by Emang Development Project, a 100% black owned emerging contractor supported by SANParks to implement the project.
During construction, 30 local people were employed for a period of 10 months.
The units are all equipped with solar geysers as part of the energy efficiency programme in SANParks. The energy efficiency programme involves retrofitting all staff and tourism accommodation units with solar geysers or heat pumps to reduce energy consumption.
The Infrastructure Development Programme will continue with allocations of R 600 million confirmed for the next two years.
During this time, SANParks will construct the new Skukuza Safari Lodge, while a new rest camp will be constructed here at Marakele National Park.
I look forward to coming here in two years’ time to open the new rest camp.
Funders
For the tenth year running the annual SA National Parks Week has received substantial support through donated funds from First National Bank and Total SA. These two giants have assisted in reinforcing the established message for this important event in our calendar putting an emphasis on the need for South Africans to “Know Your National Parks.”
For that we thank Mr Danny Zandamela and the FNB family as well as Mr Christian de Closier and the entire Total SA family.
Your involvement as good corporate citizens is both welcome and to be commended.
Working in partnership with our friends in the private sector and our communities, we will surely achieve thecore objective of SA National Parks Week: to attract both local and international visitors, provide opportunities for our people, and instill a culture of conservation amongst the young.
Let us continue to work together to realize our goal of a national parks system that is open and accessible to all the people of this beautiful land.
With these words I declare 2015 SA National Parks Week officially opened.
I thank you!
