DECISION ON BEACH DRIVING

Chippy Olver, director-general of DEAT, chats to EKZN staff (from left) Victor Nene, Velaphi Khoza and Selven Naidoo during a recent visit

Dirk Rezelman

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) has issued a Record of Decision on the application by the Wetlands Authority for Recreational Use Areas and licences for boat launching in the Park.
Following the countrywide ban on beach driving from January 2001, the Authority commissioned an intensive technical study and public participation process. This was in line with requirements of the Regulations: Control of Vehicles in the Coastal Zone, published under the National Environment Management Act.
Applications for beach driving and boat launching, consistent also with the development and management framework for the Park - and its obligations under the World Heritage Conservation Act and Marine Living Resources Act - were submitted to DEAT last December. The Authority was the first conservation body to make application.
The beach driving report was independently coordinated by ACER (Africa) Environmental Management Consultants.
It included inputs from various specialists, including sandy shores (University of Port Elizabeth), rocky shores and birds (Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town), coastal geomorphology and fisheries, (Alan Smith Consulting), sub-tidal habitats (Independent Marine Research), and socio-economics and tourism (Mafiso Planning and Research).
The work was independently reviewed by Environmental Assessment Technologies and by Ninham Shand on behalf of the DEAT’s Marine and Coastal Management branch.
The Record of Decision, published on October 7, grants limited vehicle access onto the Park’s beaches for tourism – like turtle tours - and local empowerment opportunities, as well as for public and concession boat launching. All the licenses for official boat launch sites were granted.
A 4km stretch at Sodwana has been set aside for 200 vehicles a day for parking only, due to its popularity as a dive destination. But Recreational Use Areas applied for at Mapelane and St Lucia were not granted.
The Wildlife and Environment Society supported DEAT’s decision for the World Heritage Site, but argued that some small areas could be set aside in other places.
But opponents of the ban, spearheaded by a group of St Lucia residents and local community leaders, have formed The Beach Action Committee of South Africa. They claim the ban has led to a drop in local tourist numbers, affecting jobs and sales of produce and crafts. They have already lodged an appeal against the decision.

* The final report is available for public viewing at venues in and around the Park and in Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Prior to 1950 records indicated that the estuary only closed on one occasion during the long and sustained drought in the 1930's.
No 'closed mouth' record seemed to exist prior to or after this date (1930's) until 1950 when a dramatic change was effected in the management of the surrounding drainage in the Monzi Flats. Prior to 1950 the Monzi Flats had operated as a filtering system to remove silt from the Umfolozi Flood waters, which entered the St. Lucia Estuary at Honeymoon Bend.
With the growth in the sugar industry preference was given to sugar cane rather than the vitally important de-silted Monzi Flats water flowing into the St.Lucia Estuary.
Prior to 1950 the Umfolozi River split into hundreds of tiny channels of very slow flowing water, and the reeds in these slow flowing channels trapped and removed the silt. By the time the Umfolozi water reached the St Lucia Estuary a fairly large proportion of the silt had been removed.
The new Unmfolozi canal then dumped unfiltered water into the St. Lucia Estuary. Immediately this situation became a problem and the huge silt load in the Umfolozi water started to deposit silt and sand in the slower moving estuary waters.
The St Lucia estuary mouth was rapidly silted-up.
A costly dredging operation was started, but proved ineffective. So, the next plan of action after years of dredging the estuary mouth area, was to prevent the Umfolozi River from entering the St Lucia estuary.
The Umfolozi River was then canalised straight out to sea at Mpalane, a coastal resort just south of the St Lucia River mouth. The impact of this decision is still felt today. Often this silt plume from the Umfolozi River is blown by strong south winds as far as Sodwana Bay.
Cape Vidal is also in jeopardy affecting the coral reefs and the good snorkelling generally experienced in this area. But the greatest impact has been noted on the St. Lucia Estuary and the lake area as well.

Asisoze salulibala lolosuku

Fundi Dlamini
Izinkondlo, imidlalo yeshashalazi, imigido nomculo kwaveza isithombe
isithize ngemiphakathi eyakhele iPaki ngosuku lokugubha amasiko eKhula
Village mhlaka 24 September 2003.
Lomcimbi wawugxile kakhulu ekuxwayiseni ngobugebengu, isifo sengculazi
nokongiwa kwemvelo. Amaqembu ayishumi nesihlanu aveza ubuciko bawo namakhono awo ngezindlela azahlukahlukene. Lomgido wawenziwe ngokuhlanganyela umphakathi waseKhula, I Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, u Siyaqhubeka Forestry kanye neWetlands Authority. Lomcimbi waba impumelelo ngeminikelo eyayivela ezinkampanini I- Unilever, yi Illovo ne Wetland Authority. Sibonga
ukuzinikela nokubambisana phakathi kobuholi bendawo, othisha bezikole kanye
nomphakathi wonkana.Izinkulumo ezethulwa izihambeli kanye neziphathimandla
zedlulisa umyalezo omuhle emphakathini wonkana.