Return
of The World’s Fastest Cat to the Greater St Lucia
Wetland Park’s uMkhuze Game Reserve and Opening
of New Beach -Bush Tourism Route
FRIDAY, 11 AUGUST 2006: Minister van Schalkwyk
released two adult male cheetahs into the uMkuze
section of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park today,
marking the return of the world’s fastest cat
to the natural wonderland from which they disappeared
in the early 1900s. Cheetahs were shot as vermin
by cattle farmers and their rangeland was transformed
by various commercial forms of land use. The two
cats are the first of four to be introduced by
the Wetland Park Authority and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
in an effort to create a viable coalition of cheetahs
in uMkhuze
The return of these animals
to uMkhuze took place as rural communities, tourism
operators and government leaders came together
to celebrate the opening of a new bridge over
the uMkhuze River and a new tourism route in the
Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. The gathering was
a tangible demonstration of the way in which protected
areas can contribute to economic growth and job-creation.
Minister van Schalkwyk said
during the bridge opening ceremony: “This event
marks a milestone in the development of the Lubombo
SDI tourism route and the Greater St Lucia Wetland
Park. Feeding directly off the new Lubombo road,
the new access road and bridge gives 20 000 people
in KwaJobe their first all weather access to Hluhluwe.
It also creates an unprecedented opportunity for
the area to benefit from tourism. It means that
diving at Sodwana and game viewing in uMkuze Game
Reserve are less than one hour apart. This new
tourism circuit will stimulate economic growth
in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park and will
open a new world of opportunity for the people
of KwaJobe.”
The total amount spent on the
Ophansi entrance bridge to date is R 9.5 million.
An additional amount of R 1.2 million will be
spent on a gate and community craft market. During
the construction of the bridge 25 996 man-days
of local employment involving some 120 people
was created. On the job training was provided
in concrete works (mixing, steel fixing, placing),
brickwork, stone pitching, road sealing (surfacing),
and the construction of stormwater culverts. People
trained on this contract now have the opportunity
to provide skills and subcontracting services
during the construction of the new gate facilities.
In delivering the project, specific
attention was paid to ensuring an eco-friendly
design which would not compromise the natural
river dynamics or the integrity of the structure.
The new access road was aligned in such a way
that no homesteads were affected. All pre-cast
piles and beams were manufactured on site and
the entire structure was built using local labour
and artisans, working under the guidance of the
contractor.
The opening of the Ophansi bridge
follows the launch of the new Lubombo Tourism
Route at the Tourism Indaba in Durban earlier
this year. Minister van Schalwyk commented at
that launch “The member states of SADC have committed
to developing tourism, and especially tourism
in Transfrontier Conservation Areas, as a priority
in the build-up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
The new Lubombo tourism route provides a great
head-start in this direction. With the opening
of the Ophansi entrance bridge today we take another
important step forward.”
The Lubombo tourism route traverses
Southern Mozambique, Eastern Swaziland and Northern
KwaZulu Natal - and combines Maputo and Mozambique’s
beaches, the mountains of Swaziland with South
Africa’s Kruger National Park and the Greater
St Lucia Wetland Park. It opens up one of the
few places in the world where tourists are able
to dive on coral reefs and observe whales and
dolphins at sea within just a few hours of experiencing
a Big Five game safari.
During the launch of the Lubombo
Tourism Route, the Minister commented that the
task of mobilising new investment into the deep
rural areas of this region has been slow and tough.
But he noted that to date far more benefits in
terms of jobs and community empowerment have been
delivered than dune mining would have done. For
example:
There has been a significant
growth in tourism beds in the region including
a 60% growth in the number of establishments -
a direct result of the redevelopment of the Park
and marketing value added through its World Heritage
status.
Agreements have been concluded
in respect of six new lodges in the park. These
confirmed deals equate to well over 300 direct
jobs. They have been set up as community private
and public partnerships and give a significant
share to rural people who used to be excluded
from the mainstream economy.
There are 76 SMMEs, employing 1520 people, which
are implementing the ongoing rehabilitation in
the park. Also more than 3000 temporary jobs have
been created each year for the past five years
in terms of building fences, new roads and new
tourism infrastructure. And this will continue
in the foreseeable future.
About 26 craft groups have been
established in a park programme to develop and
market craft and they employ 600 people. These
groups supply a major retailer in Mr Price.
The Wetland Park now includes
one third of the province’s coastline; 16 parcels
of land that were fragmented in the 11000s have
now been consolidated into a single park; old
military bases have been removed; and ancient
migratory routes for many species of animals are
being restored.
A major reason for this economic
growth is the way the Park has improved infrastructure
and increased the number and species of game.
Commercial forests have been removed from the
Eastern Shores and a similar process is underway
on the Western Shores. Most importantly for tourism
growth, a highly successful anti-malaria campaign
has all but eradicated the disease in the Park
for the first time in many decades.
Riaan Aucamp
