Durban - Issues of escaping animals and fence maintenance at the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (HIP) have become a top priority for the KwaZulu-Natal legislature portfolio committee on conservation and environmental affairs.
The portfolio committee sat yesterday to discuss among other issues the relationship between the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and the Nhlungwane, Enqulwane and Okhukho communities of Ulundi after recent protests over the repeated escape of dangerous wild animals from the park.
Inadequate fencing was one of the reasons raised by the community after rhinos and lions escaped recently.
Portfolio committee chairperson Sthembiso Mshengu said Ezemvelo presented a detailed report on how they will deal with the ongoing issues of escaping wildlife.
He said Ezemvelo had future plans to erect a new fence to better secure the park and stop the wildlife from escaping into the community.
“We are pleased with the detailed plans they have put before us and we are also pleased with the commitment they have made in ensuring the issues of maintaining the park are prioritised,” he said.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesperson Musa Mntambo confirmed that R9 million had been reserved for the repair of the fence.
“This money will only be to repair the fence where it is compromised. To erect a new smart fence will require about R40m. We currently do not have this amount, hence we shall repair the existing fence,” he said.
DA KZN spokesperson on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Heinz de Boer said the issues in that area originate from the bigger issue of unemployment, and that only when that issue was addressed would there be harmony.
“Unemployment is probably the main reason behind the protests and hostility in the area. The people are not benefiting from HIP. Unless Ezemvelo understands that, then we are far from reaching consensus with the communities.
“We are concerned that as soon as the fence goes up it will be destroyed, because we believe there is an element of criminality involved and there are those who are cutting the fences to allow the animals to escape with the hopes of being compensated,” he said.
Mshengu said a petition from residents was presented to the committee, outlining the issues of unemployment.
Mshengu added that the HOD of the KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Economic Affairs made a commitment to come up with plans to upskill and create employment for the unemployed people living near the park.
“We will meet with the residents on Saturday to listen to their complaints.”
Mntambo indicated that Ezemvelo had employed 251 local people as fence liners, fence repairers or in the Working On Fire programme.
The meeting between Ezemvelo, the portfolio committee and traditional authorities of the affected areas will take place on Saturday at the KZN Sharks Board, uMhlanga.
Community member and activist Smilo Khanyile said it would not be the first time a meeting between the community and the committee was held.
“We don’t have any new hopes that anything will come out of it.”
Khanyile also questioned why the meeting will be in uMhlanga when the community affected was in Ulundi.
He added that Ezemvelo had given the assurance that it would fix the fence before, yet nothing was done.