21 February, 2000
A meeting between the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the South African National Parks and the Makuleke community agreed to finalise the draft Conservation Management Plan before any decisions were taken on the use of the natural resources of the area.
Director-General Chippy Olver said that the weekend meeting in Kruger National Park (KNP) agreed that the Conservation Management Plan will form the basis for all conservation and commercial activities to be undertaken by the Makuleke.
He said that any decisions, such as hunting, would be taken once the plan had been finalised and would be in accordance with the boarder aims and objectives of the Conversation Management Plan of the whole area. He said that any question of hunting African elephants would have to be in terms of the CITES (Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species) rules, regulations and agreement of which South Africa is a signatory.
The Makuleke community, who were forcibly removed from their land in 1968/9 to make way for the expansion of the KNP, successfully reclaimed their land in 1998. An agreement was then signed by government, the SANP and the Makuleke to create a contractual park within Kruger with a joint management committee and governed by a conservation management plan.
Dr Olver was pleased by the enthusiasm and commitment of both the Makuleke people and SANP to work together to expedite the finalisation of the Conservation Management Plan.
Dr Olver was accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the SANP, Mr Mavuso Msimang, and the Director of KNP, Mr David Mabunda.
Issued by JJ Tabane
Media Liaison Director: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism)
(012) 310 3611 (phone) (012) 322 0082 (fax) 082 465 6166