In 1994 our new democratic government made the famous no-mining decision
for the St Lucia Wetlands.
This move and the processes leading to it were heralded as one of the most
important victories for conservation in South Africa.
It was an issue that united and divided people from all walks of life and
across political parties, race and class.
It showed how committed individuals and organisations like (anagrams) Wessa,
Slag and Zeal could make a difference. Half a million citizens including former
President Mandela and Minister Buthelezi signed a `no mining’ petition.
Legend has it the Dr Ian Player threatened to lie down naked in front of the
bulldozers. Maybe it was this spectacle and the promise by the conservation
lobbyists of more jobs from tourism than mining that swung the debate and
led the Leon Commission to recommend a Peoples Park for the Wetlands.
The Commission proposed that the Wetlands have a major beneficial impact on
future generations in our country and that it should form part of a nation-building
process, contributing to reconciliation and development.
It also proposed a National Act to protect the Wetland and that an independent
authority be set up to manage it with a board representing all levels of government
and role-players such as tribal authorities, community organizations, conservation
bodies and the business sector.
Juxtaposed with this, the Commission recognized the poverty of the original
inhabitants and the support for mining by many local people and the jobs it
guaranteed.
The environmental assessment process undertaken during the mining evaluation
was probably South Africa’s first Strategic Environmental Assessment
(SEA).
The no mining decision and the determining of the land use for conservation
and nature tourism signaled that the days when environmentally damaging industries
could be implemented with ease had passed.
It also nationally vaulted tourism as a legitimate regional economic development
driver. The Wetlands is seen as a forerunner of this development sector. Arguably
if it fails to deliver, or delivery is slow, it will put the conservation
nature tourism land-use model at risk not just for the Wetlands but nationally.
Up until 1998 little happened.
In fact there was a negative growth rate in tourism and at least 22 major
tourism projects planned for the area that were blocked by a maze of red-tape,
bureaucracy and local dynamics.
Then, through the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative, government committed
itself to ensuring that nature tourism replaced mining as the main form of
sustainable development in the Wetlands.
The Wetlands got international heritage site status, a national Act was passed
to allow for the efficient management of the park, many different parcels
of land were consolidated into one Wetlands park, and a large chunk of money
was allocated for the development of roads, fences, game relocation and other
facilities required to make one of Africa’s greatest parks.
These formed part of a major and ongoing empowerment and job-creation programme.
A vigorous anti-malaria campaign was started and the new Lubombo spine road
built.
A process was set in place to settle land claims over large parts of the park,
in a way that benefits those people who have just and valid claims, and continues
to preserve the Wetlands.
Most recently and importantly, the National Minister of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism has just appointed a Board to oversee the management the Wetlands.
There are still many challenges before the Wetlands.
The most important is to ensure that progress continues to be made towards
putting an end to what President Joaquim Chissano described, at the launch
of the Lubombo SDI, as the paradox of poverty amidst the plenty of nature.
While the new Wetland Authority goes about doing this, the St Lucia Wetlands
will continue to unite and divide people, to generate debate and controversy.
This newsletter is designed to encourage and promote that debate. This edition,
for example, has a thought-provoking article by Saliem Fakir of the IUCN on
the dangers of what he calls eco moralism.
It discusses the heated pros and cons of driving four by fours on the beaches
of the Wetlands. It introduces and interviews the new Chairperson of the Wetland’s
Board, Mavuso Msimang.
It covers the important frustrations of ordinary people, like those who live
in and around Kosi Bay, with what they see as a slow pace of development.
The Wetland Wire will be published every two months and will have regular
articles and columns that include controversial comment, facts about the bio-diversity
of the Park, cameos about the rich cultures of the people who live in the
region, news about development, investment and job creation, information about
the people and stakeholders involved in the creation of the park and, most
important of all, letters from the citizens living in and around the Wetlands.
Let the discussion, the criticism and the debates begin.
We shall report faithfully on them.
Ngo 1994 uhulumeni wethu ongacwasi wenza isinqumo sokuvala izimboni (no-mining)
eSt. Lucia Wetlands.
Lomnyakazo nokwenza okuholela kuwo kwaphakanyiswa njengabanye babanqobi bokongiwa
kwemvelo eNingizimu Afrika.
Kwakhombisa ukuthi abantu abazibandakanyile nezinhlangano (anagrams) Wessa,
Slag neZeal bangenza umehluko. Imiphakathi eyiziyingxenye ye Million kubandakanya
nowanguMongameli uMnu. Mandela noNgqongqoshe uButhelezi basayinda isiphakamiso
(isicelo) sokuqeda ukwenziwa kwezimboni (mining).
Okuyinganekwane ukuthi uDr. Ian Player wasatshiswa ngokulaliswa engagqokile
(enqunu) ngaphambi kwama bulldozer. Mhlawumbe kwakuyilokhu kubukisa nesethembiso
sezintango zokuvikela imvelo kwemisebenzi emingi kuzivakashi kunezimboni ezajikajikise
inkulumompikiswano zaholela iKhomishana kaLeon ukuba income (ikhethe) iPeoples
Park ye Wetlands.
IKhomishana yanxenxa ukuba iWetlands ibe nokuhlanganisa okugculisayo ezizukulwaneni
zangomuso ezweni lethu nokuthi kufanele yakhe ingxenye yohlelo lokwakha -
isizwe, ifaka isandla ekubuyisaneni nakunqubekelaphambili.
Umnyakazo Wesizwe
Ibuye yanxenxa i National Act ukuba ivikele iWetlands nokuthi i independent
Authority ilungiselelwe ukuyiphatha ngokwebhodi emele onke amazinga kahulumeni
nabanomnyakazo njengezifunda, izinhlangano zomphakathi, amabhodi okongiwa
kwemvelo nengxenye yamabhizinisi. Ukubeka ngononina, ikhomishana ibonile ubuphofu
(ukweswela) kwabahlali bendabuko nokugqugquzela kwezimboni kubahlali yiningi
labantu bendawo nemisebenzi eziyiqinisekisile.
Uhlelo lokuhlola imvelo esebantwini okuvunyelwene ngalo ngesikhathi sokuvalwa
kwezimboni kwakuyi Strategic Enviromental Assessment yokuqala eNingizimu Africa
(SEA). Isinqumo sokuqedwa kwezimboni nokubonisana ngokusetshenziselwa komhlaba
ukongiwa kwemvelo nezokuvakasha kwaveza ukuthi izinsuku lapho izimboni ezilimazayo
zazingasetshenziswa bucayi sezadlula.
Ibuye yagxumisa ezokuvakasha njengomqhubi wohwebo lwesifunda olusemthethweni.
IWetlands ibukeka njengongqaphambili wengxenye yalemizamo. Kungaphikiseka
uma kungaphumeleli ukwethula (ukuveza), noma kwethulwa ngonyawo lonwabu, kungabeka
uhlobo lwe nature conservation tourism lokusebenzisa komhlaba ebucayini kungenzeli
iWetlands kuphela kodwa ezweni lonke.
Red Tape
Kwaqhubeka kwaze kwaba u1998 kwenzeka kancane .
Empeleni kwakunokukhula okungalindelekile kwezokuvakasha nokungenani izinhlelo
ezibalulekile ezingu 22 ezazihlelelwe indawo zavinjwa uthango lwe red - tape,
ngokomthetho nangesimo sendawo.
Ngakho, ngeLubombo Spatial Development Initiative, uhulumeni wazibophezela
ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ezokuvakasha nemvelo kuzothatha indawo njengenkulu yokwenzangcono
umkhiqizo ngaphandle kokubulala imvelo eWetlands.
I Wetlands yathola izinga eliphakeme leheritage site jikelele, uthetho wezwe
waphasiswa ukuvumela ukukhuphula izinga lokuphathwa kwe Park, amaphasela amaningi
ezwe ahlukahlukene aqoqelwa ku Wetland Park eyodwa, isizumbulu semali yabekelwa
ukuthuthukisa imigwaqo, izintango (fences), ukubekwa kabusha kwezilwane nezinye
izidingo zokwenza zokwenza enye yamapard amakhulu eAfrika. Lokhu kwenza ingxenye
yokubaluleka nokunikwa amandla okuqhubekayo nezinhlelo zokwakhiwa kwemisebenzi.
Uhlelo olunamandla lokuqeda umalaleveva luqalile kulomgogodla omusha wokwakhiwa
kwemigwaqo eLubombo.
Ukuqhubeka kwahlelwa endaweni ukuxazulula ama claim ezindawo ezingxenyeni
ezinkulu ze park, ukuze kuzuze labobantu ababefanele nama claim avumelekile,
kuqhutshekwe nokugcina iWetlands isesimeni.
Muvanje futhi okubaluleke kakhulu, uNgqongqoshe kaZwelonke weMvelo Nokuvakasha
ukhethe ibhodi ezobhekela ukuphathwa kweWetlands.
Ama Challenges asele
Asemaningi ama challenges ngaphambi kwe Wetlands.
Okubaluleke kakhulu ukuqinisekisa ukuthi lempumelelo iyaqhubeka ukuze yenzelwe
ukwenza isiphetho kokwachazwa uMongameli Joaquim Chissano, kulontshwa i Lubombo
SDI, njengoba ubunjalo bobuphofu bengamele iningi lemvelo.
Ngenkathi iWetland Authority entsha iqhubeka nokwenza lokhu, iSt. Lucia Wetlands
izoqhubeka nokubumbana nokuhlukanisa abantu, ukwakha inkulumompikiswano (ukuxoxisana)
nokuphikisana.
Lezindaba zilungiselwe ukukhuthaza nokukhuphula ukuxoxisana (inkulumompikiswano).
Lolushicilelo, isibonelo, lunodaba lomcabango ocasulayo luka Saliem Fakir
we IUCN engozini ayibiza nge eco moralism (ukufunda ngokwenza okuhle noxhumana
).