COASTAL FOREST RESERVE
The demarcation process was initiated with local leadership to resolve the history of tension between conservation and neighbouring communities by clearly marking the Park’s boundary line and making it visible to everyone. The boundary line will be demarcated with a line of 1m high PVC beacons. There are no plans for fencing. The process of consulting with affected Tribal Authorities and communities of Tembe and Mbila has been completed. Tenders, worth more than R400 000 and resulting in 100 jobs, were awarded to three local contractors. Certain communities have blocked the process, claiming CFR conservation was never negotiated with them, while others would like to obtain jobs from the process. Tribal Authorities have been notified of these problems and dates for further discussions are being finalized.
CHEETAH RELEASED INTO THE EASTERN SHORES
After 3 months in the animal boma on the eastern Shores, the 3 cheetah were released in early January into the Park as part of the Parks Animal Re-Introduction Plan. The cheetah were from the De Wild Cheetah Breeding Project in Mpumalanga and their purchase was funded by the Wildlands Trust.
INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP
The annual International Coastal Cleanup took place on Saturday, 20th September
2003.Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife implemented the project within the St Lucia Wetlands
Park with teams of volunteers from local communities and schools. Manzengwenya,
Kosi Bay, Sodwana Bay, Cape Vidal, St Lucia and Maphelane were used as bases
and collection points. In comparison to previous years rubbish collected
was much less in terms of weight and quantity. This is due to a public which
is more aware and due to the presence of Coast Care . At Cape Vidal a 62
member strong volunteer group consisting mainly of local school children
collected some 187.5 kg. According to Selven Naidoo, OiC St Lucia MPA (S),
the majority of rubbish collected consisted of old planks and plastic which
had washed onto the beach as flotsam. Very little litter was from a local
source. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife would like to thank all volunteers who participated
in the event and look forward to similar support in next years International
Coastal Cleanup
SIYADLA BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
The communities of KwaDapha, Emalangeni, Novunya and Mqobela are extremely delighted to eventually witness in their lives the development of Siyadla Bridge to become an all- weather crossing. This development, headed by Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park Authority, is creating between 35 and 50 general labour jobs for the above communities for a period of three months. This figure excludes semi-skilled labour that will also be sourced from these communities. Apart from jobs local
It was great to see the report in the previous Wetlands Wire on the return
of the cheetahs to the Park, especially as I was there. How about a follow-up
story on their rescue and the story behind two of the St Lucia being rescued
from being killed as vermin?
Added to this the Bateleurs flew the animals from Lanseria to St
Lucia as a mercy mission to reduce their stress. Through your distribution
you can assist in educating the public on the work been done hopefully assist
us in raising the profile of cheetahs.
Tim Neary
Media Relations Volunteer
De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust
We welcome letters from readers. Please include your full name,
phone number and address, and keep letters to less than 300 words for space
reasons. Write to Wetlands Wire, The Dredger Harbour, Private Bag X05, St
Lucia, 3936, fax: 035 590 1496, or email wetlandswire@mweb.co.za
The best published letter (in isiZulu or English) wins R200.
Gary Cooper
Chairman, Beach Action Committee of SA writes:
The R340m tourism developments are just another skullduggery and distortion
of facts: damage to the environment will far exceed the capital investment
as the pioneer dunes will bear the brunt at Cape Vidal, Perriers Rock and
Kosi Bay.
The minister (Valli Moosa) denounced those who want to drive on the beaches
as “ruffians” or “hooligans” while knowing the Authority
and his department were planning even more drastic environmental damage.
Andrew Zaloumis, (chief executive of the Authority) boldly claims malaria
has been eradicated through the malaria “intervention programme”
using DDT - although its use is internationally forbidden. But he fails
to mention the worst drought ever and any grade 1 pupil knows the breeding
connection between mosquitoes and water. The return of high malaria prevalence
is a certainty once the rains return.
The so-called influx of 100 000 tourists has been propagated constantly
over the past 10 years and seems to be a figment of someone’s extremely
vivid imagination. This would mean 7.7 loads of 747 Boeing tourists exclusively
for the Park would have to land weekly as local tourists are now exploring
neighbouring countries since the ban on beach driving.
Creating 900 low-income, menial jobs compared to the 330 higher-income jobs
mining would have created can surely not be seen as an achievement. This
shows the government’s callous attitude towards citizens while a selected
few “comrades” pluck the riches. The under-privileged will not
benefit as experienced staff from existing service providers around the
park will be first to lose jobs due to increased competition.
South Africans were forced to give up their rights for the privilege of
a few “cronies” who want to have exclusive-use beaches. It is
time the Constitutional principles of accountability and transparency are
revisited.
Dr Brian Sharp of the Malaria Programme, MRC replies:
The use of DDT in agriculture was banned in most countries in 1975 but its
use for indoor spraying continued. This was recently approved by the UNEP
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the text of which
was finalized in Johannesburg in December 2000
Durban was once a high risk area and there are many historical examples
of the effect of malaria on business and communities. Our current high risk
areas are those bordering Mozambique: by extending control to southern Mozambique
and maintaining effective control in KZN these will decrease.
Even during the drought, 75% of children in an uncontrolled malaria area
in southern Mozambique, surveyed in 2003, had malaria, very different to
the situation in KZN. Variations in rainfall do affect the malaria profile
but this is strikingly exacerbated when there are no drugs or insecticides.
Cases are now recorded and updates will be made available to tourists.