21 OCTOBER 1999
THE Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Mohammed Valli Moosa today announced that Mafison Murphy Morobe has been appointed chairperson of the new South African National Park (SANP) board.
Mr Morobe will head up the new 17-member board whose appointments were accepted by Cabinet after the term of the current board expired at the end of last month.
Minister Moosa said he was confident that the new board had the experience and the skill to tackle the challenges facing SANP.
'From land acquisitions that will increase the size of many parks to outsourcing to the private sector non-conservation activities, the new board will have all necessary skills required to guide the SANP as it gets down to its core business which is the co nservation of the largest single asset this country has.'
The members of the new Board, who have three-year mandate to determine policy and oversee its implementation by the SANP Directorate, are:
Mr Praful Bhawan (a mechanical engineer from Cape Town)
Ms Jackie Brown (a rural development consultant from Johannesburg)
Ms Nomsa Canca (businesswoman and member of Katz Commission on Women's Taxation from
Johannesburg)
Ms T Khumbane (rural women's activist in the Northern Province)
Ms Tumelo Lobelo-Ratefane (social work lecturer involved in AIDS issues from the North-West)
Mr R Maruma (conservationist and immediate past SANP board member)
Professor Sue Milton (Western Cape representative)
Ms Nthobi Moahloli (corporate affairs director in Cape Town)
Mr J K Modise (Northern Cape Representative)
Mr Murphy Morobe (chairperson of the Financial Fiscal Commission in Johannesburg)
Mr Sisa Njekelane (Eastern Cape representative)
Mr O Ntuli (Mpumalanga representative)
Dr Ian Player (KwaZulu Natal representative and immediate past SANP board member)
Ms Josie Rowe-Setz (tourism development consultant from Johannesburg)
Mr Z J Sithole (Gauteng representative)
Professor Willem Van Riet (conservationist and immediate past SANP board member)
Mr Clive Walker (North West representative)
Minister Moosa said a key feature of the new Board was the combination of conservation, eco-tourism, business, finance, and community development skills; and reflects our commitment to both sustainable conservation and the growth of tourism as a driving fo rce in the economy.
The names of the Board members will now go to Parliament for ratification.
Inquires: Didi Moyle
[Special Adviser to the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism]
082 808 5108 (021) 465 7240/1 (phone) (021) 465 3216 (fax) moyle@mweb.co.za