04 September 2007 - Speech
- Keynote Address by the Hon. Minister of
Tourism, Environment and Culture Held at
Giant's Castle, South Africa - Ms. Lebohang
Ntsinyi
SALUTATION
Honourable Deputy Minister, Ms. Rejoice
Mabudafahsi
Excellencies
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
On behalf of the Government of the Kingdom
of Lesotho, I would like to express our
sincere gratitude to the Government of South
Africa for the kind invitation to this historic
event. It is also a great privilege to be
with you here today at this scenic and refreshing
venue.
This landmark event is indeed testimony
of our long history of cooperation and friendship
as partners in conservation and development
between Lesotho. It also serves as an excellent
opportunity to celebrate our achievements,
while also reflecting on the challenges
that lie ahead as we intensity our efforts
to implement international obligations under
the Convention on Biological Diversity and
the Millennium Development Goals.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MALOTI DRAKENSBERG
REGION
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Hounorable Deputy Minister has eloquently
described the conservation and economic
value of the Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier
Conservation Area. All attributes of the
TFCA were clearly articulated in her speech.
It therefore goes without saying that we
are the custodians of a global asset encompassing
inspiring landscapes; diverse biological
resource with high endemism; cultural heritage
of international value; and an ecosystem
that produce good and services that support
livelihoods within the sub-region and beyond.
In her remarks, the Honorable Deputy Minister
referred to the Maloti Drakensberg region
as southern Africa’s “water factory”. This
region is indeed a source of much needed
“white gold” that drives industries, nourishes
our bodies and quenches the thirst of millions
of our people Lesotho, South Africa and
Namibia. It is currently estimated that
between 20 to 30% of the population of the
sub-region depend on the freshwater resources
originating from the Maloti Drakensberg
mountains. It is also projected that the
figure will rise to 70% by 2030.
The link between nature heritage and tourism
development cannot be over-emphasized. Therefore,
the Maloti Drakensberg area will continue
to stands out as a preferred tourism destination.
However, it is critical for South Africa
and Lesotho to take advantage of this potential
for nature-based tourism and to package,
promote and position the tourism potential
of the region for the benefit of our people,
especially in Lesotho where most tourism
product are relatively underdeveloped, if
we are to optimize spin-offs from the 2010
World Cup Tournament to be hosted by South
Africa.
The tourism information book that we launched
this morning will surely go a long way supporting
our marketing efforts. However, unless we
maintain the exception beauty of the area
through sound conservation strategies, the
tourism potential of the area will be soon
be lost due land degradation, and visitors
will turn to other competing tourism destinations.
THREATS TO THE MOUNTAIN RESOURCES
Our resolve to forge this partnership in
conservation and sustainable use of biological
and cultural resource 10 year ago was triggered
by our determination to arrest our common
problems. This wisdom of interdependence
can be found in various African proverbs.
In sesotho we often say “Kopano ke Matla”;
In isiZulu “Ukubumbana Ubunye”; In xhoza
……… In English “Unity is Strength” or “United
We Stand and Divided We Fall”. Implying
that the magnitude of our challenges within
this bioregion is such that, one is destined
to fails should he or she attempts to tackle
them single handedly. Additionally, the
transfrontier nature of some our challenges
and threats to biodiversity calls for joint
planning and management approaches that
transgress artificial political boundaries.
Ladies and Gentlemen in pursuing this common
agenda of seeking to reconcile natural heritage
protection, social development and economic
development we must double our efforts in
addressing the threats facing this bioregion.
These threats are well document and include,
among others:
Wild fires, poor range management, destruction
of wetlands, illegal hunting, destruction
of heritage resources and attacks on tourists.
Phase I of the MDTP has indeed developed
a road map and has laid a solid foundation
for future intervention of this programme.
Although much remains to be done, let us
forget the words of the famous Chinese scholar
– Confucius, who once said “ A journey of
a thousand Miles begins with one Step”.
ACHIEMENTS
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Two of the key products of MDTP Phase I
have been handed over to our Governments
this morning, namely, the Tourism Information
Book that raises the profile of the TFCA;
and the 20 year conservation and development
strategy which is a road map for subsequent
phases of the MDTP.
Allow me to highlight other key achievements
of MDTP Phase I over the last 5 years.
The Bilateral Steering Committee and the
Project Coordination Units have mobilized
and sensitized the local communities to
participate actively in the initiative,
and various pilot conservation pilot projects
have been initiated.
The Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) for
the Maloti Drakensberg Conservation and
Development Programme has been revised to
include the bioregional planning process;
the 20 year conservation and development
strategy and associated action planning,
including the mainstreaming of the strategy;
establishment of the transfrontier parks;
and the establishment of a Ministerial Committee
for the programme. The two governments intend
to signed the revised MoU before the end
MTDP Phase I.
Various sector specific strategies including
the security strategy and tourism strategy
have been developed.
The Joint Management Plan for Sehlabathebe
National Park and uKhahlamba Drakensberg
Park has been drafted and the intention
of the both Governments is to formally declare
the Sehlabathebe/uKhahlamba Transfrontier
Park by December 2007.
Above all, there is undoubtly improved
collaboration between the two countries
at various levels as depicted in the number
of bilateral interaction such as this event,
partnerships, sharing of knowledge, exchanges
of experiences and promotion of best practices
in the areas of biodiversity conservation,
heritage conservation and tourism development.
The exit strategy for MDTP Phase I has
been finalized. The strategy presents institutional
arrangement and measures that would sustain
MDTP beyond the project closing date of
December 2007.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I wish to thank the Government
of South Africa for hosting this event;
the Global and Environment Facility and
World Bank for the financial and technical
support to the initiative; the Peace Parks
Foundation for their consistent support
to TFCA initiatives in the sub-region; and
the Bilateral Steering Committee for the
MDTP and Project Coordination Units for
their hard work.
Finally, I am grateful to the organizers
and the people of the Zulu Kingdom for their
hospitality.
Thank you!
+ More
Speech by Honourable Deputy Minister Rejoice
Mabudafhasi at the Celebration of the 10th
Anniversary of the Giant’s Castle Declaration
for the Establishment of the Maloti-Drakensberg
Transfrontier Conservation and Development
Area and the Launch of the Maloti-Drakensberg
Tourism Route
04 September 2007 - Speech - Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Honorable Minister Lebohang Ntsinyi representing
the government of the Kingdom of Lesotho,
Honorable MEC Mthimkhulu
Honourable High Commissioners of Lesotho
and South Africa
Representatives of the World Bank
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is in deed a great pleasure and honour
for me to address you on this special occasion
where we have decided to celebrate the 10th
Anniversary of the Giant’s Castle Declaration
by launching the Maloti-Drakensberg Tourism
Route and the accompanying book, “the Maloti-Drakensberg
Experience. Let me take this opportunity
to extend a very warm and hearty welcome
to our colleagues from the Kingdom of Lesotho
whose presence here demonstrates the nature
of and the value that we place on our collaboration
in this area. I would also like to recognize
the presence of representatives of the World
Bank whose financial and technical support
has made the implementation of this project
over the last five years a great success.
The presence of the MEC for Agriculture
and Environmental Affairs for KZN province,
Mr. Mthimkhulu, senior officials from the
Eastern Cape Province and the South African
National Parks,
representatives of the Private Sector and
our traditional leaders, is also in recognition
of the importance of our collaboration and
common vision for the TFCA.
Honourable Minister, distinguished guests,
ladies and gentlemen almost 10 years ago
today, great minds that came before us,
including some of you who are here today,
met at this same venue and made the bold
decision to commit their institutions and
governments to the sustainable and collaborative
management of the globally significant biodiversity
and cultural heritage of the Maloti and
Drakensberg mountain region through the
establishment of the Maloti-Drakensberg
Transfrontier Conservation and Development
Area. Whilst we sit here today to marvel
and celebrate the ingenuity of those great
minds, we are ideally giving ourselves time
to take stock of our achievements relative
to their vision and commitments 10 years
ago.
Whatever reason and motivation they had
then for the establishment of this TFCA,
the same reasons and more are more compelling
for us today as human demands on this bioregion
undoubtedly increased phenomenally. Not
only is one of southern Africa’s major water
factories, for which this area is well-know,
increasingly under threat, the demand for
its water is increasing at an exponential
rate.
Not only do we need to double our conservation
and sustainable management efforts in this
TFCA for the sake of sustainable supply
of water but also because of the high endemism
in terms of biodiversity in this area and
knowing fully well that our grassland bioregions
are not very well represented in our protected
area systems in both countries.
The cultural heritage in this TFCA, Honourable
Minister, distinguished guests, ladies and
gentlemen, is second to none. Not only does
this area have the finest prehistoric rock
art in the world, it has one of the highest
densities, more than 1000 sites, of rock
art sites in the world. The area exhibits
some of the last San rock art paintings
in Africa south of the Zambezi River. Some
of the paintings were done as late as the
1920s, providing us with a lot of meaning
and motivation to look after this cultural
heritage.
In addition to rock art, the TFCA has very
important paleontological sites including
the oldest fossilized Dinosaur eggs in the
world, dating back 200 million years ago.
This Honourable Ministers, distinguished
guests, ladies and gentlemen, if well managed
and publicized could very easily place this
TFCA on the world map. This area for most
of our Basotho people in both countries
defines their origins as it is a key area
for some of our late Iron Age settlements.
This was the heartland of the so called
Umfecane or Lifaqane tribal turmoils which
witnessed a lot of movements in and out
of the Drakensberg.
For your own information Honourable Minister,
distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen,
this area produced one of the greatest African
leaders, King Moshoeshoe, the founding father
of the Basotho nation.
With all this significant natural and cultural
heritage, the unparalleled scenic splendor
and the renowned hospitality of people of
this area, coupled with the breathtaking
landscape features of the Maloti and the
Drakensberg mountains, it is only befitting
that we are gathered here today to launch
a tourism route that has all it takes to
make for a worthwhile experience for any
tourist.
Honourable Minister, distinguished guests
ladies and gentlemen, let me take this opportunity
to remind you that 2 years ago another set
of great minds, which again includes some
of you sitting here today, realized the
opportunities to be presented by the 2010
Soccer World Cup in terms of spreading the
benefits across the SADC region and developed
a strategy aimed at “Positioning TFCAs as
southern Africa’s premiere international
tourism destination” for 2010 and beyond.
As you all know, this strategy was adopted
by 9 SADC countries that are involved in
the 7 TFCAs that have been identified for
the first phase of the strategy. The strategy
was also endorsed as a SADC initiative by
the SADC Council of Ministers at their meeting
in February 2006. My department has now
established a Unit that is taking the overall
responsibility for the implementation of
the strategy.
The vision of this initiative is to market
southern Africa’s TFCAs as a single tourism
route and destination. The success of this
broader tourism route depends on the success
of the individual TFCA tourism routes. We
are today making a commitment to ensure
the success of the Maloti-Drakensberg tourism
route as our own contribution to the broader
vision of the SADC community. Let us ensure
that 10 years from today our successors
will be able to look back with pride, marvel
and celebrate the commitment that we are
making today.
In conclusion, Honourable Minister, distinguished
guests, ladies and gentlemen let me take
this opportunity to thank you all for your
support not only in making today’s occasion
a success but more importantly for keeping
the vision of the Giant’s Castle declaration
alive and also ensuring that our two nations
take the lead in realizing our vision of
regional integration as the SADC region.
I thank you
