History was made today
when black rhinos were released onto Somkhanda
Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Somkhanda is the first community-owned land
to become a partner in the WWF/ Ezemvelo
KZN Wildlife Black Rhino Range Expansion
Project. A total of eleven (11) black rhinos
will be released.
Somkhanda Game Reserve is owned by the
Gumbi community which successfully claimed
five commercial game farms under the Land
Restitution process. Rather than turn the
whole area into settlement and farming,
the community leaders decided to zone their
land for economic sustainability. The zones
include areas for conservation, development
and commercial cattle farming.
“Empowering black communities to become
stakeholders is a priority in conservation,
and Somkhanda is an example where it is
really starting to happen”, said WWF’s Dr
Jacques Flamand, leader of the Black Rhino
Range Expansion Project.
iNkosi Zebelon Gumbi, head of the Gumbi
royal family, explains: “When the land was
gone, there were no opportunities. Now there
are opportunities. There is work in security
protecting animals from poachers. And there
is work at the lodges. We have set aside
some land for farming and settlement, and
some for development projects which will
boost the Gumbi economy. We are asking our
people to think like businesspeople. We
are living in modern times. It is not just
building a place and relying on cattle any
more. Now we ask people to work and get
money.”
But conservation always involves the heart
as well as the head. Nathi Gumbi, Director
of Somkhanda Game Reserve, says: “When the
Gumbis were moved from their land, we had
no choice. But thank God the white people
who took our land also loved it. So our
land is still beautiful. Now we have the
land back and we shall also love it and
look after it as our ancestors loved it.”
The way the Black Rhino Range Expansion
Project works is that the founder population
of black rhino - the 11 that are being released
now - belong to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. When
the population grows, then ownership of
the offspring is shared 50/50 between the
Gumbi community and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
“But the reality is that these animals
belong to all of us - to KwaZulu-Natal,
to South Africa, to Africa, to our children
and our children’s children,” said Rejoice
Mabudafhasi, Deputy Minister of the Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, who
attended the release. “They are our heritage,
our responsibility, our privilege. The Gumbi
leadership has shown the courage and foresight
to accept that opportunity and that responsibility
and we salute you for that. It may not always
be easy. There will be challenges and setbacks.
It will be hard work. But it will be worth
it. As the first community to become partners
in this important project, you are pioneering
a way that we hope many others will follow”,
the Deputy Minister added.
The black rhino is still critically endangered,
although numbers have increased to about
3700, from a low point of around 2500 in
the 11000s. The Black Rhino Range Expansion
Project supports ongoing protection of existing
populations, but also aims to increase land
available for black rhino conservation,
thus reducing pressure on existing reserves
and providing new territory in which the
animals can rapidly increase in number.
This is done by forming strategic partnerships
with landowners within the historic range
of the black rhino. The first three partner
sites were Mun-ya-wana Game Reserve, Zululand
Rhino Reserve and Pongola Game Reserve.
Partnerships, both with private and communal
landowners, are essential for the future
of conservation, said Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
CEO Khulani Mkhize. “For conservation to
grow and thrive in our beautiful country,
with all its opportunities and challenges,
local communities must become significant
stakeholders with a real interest in ensuring
the future of conservation. This is an example
of that principle in action, and we are
proud and excited to be part of it,” he
said.
The Black Rhino Range Expansion Project
is a partnership between WWF and Ezemvelo
KZN Wildlife and is supported by the Mazda
Wildlife Fund.
The media is invited to attend and interview
the Deputy Minister. For more information,
please contact:
Moses Rannditsheni
Media Liaison Officer for the Deputy Minister
Dept of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
+ More
New name for SA 1st World Heritage Site
Media Statement - STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER
OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM, MARTHINUS
VAN SCHALKWYK, 1 NOVEMBER 2007
WEDNESDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2007: From today
the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, which
became South Africa’s first World Heritage
Site followed by Robben Island and the Cradle
of Humankind in 1999, has a new but history-rich
name.
After an extensive 2 year consultation
process, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park was
approved by Cabinet and gazetted on May
11 this year.
In 2005 we decided for several reasons
to embark on finding a new name:
The consolidated 220 000 ha Wetland Park
includes more than a third of the KwaZulu-Natal
coastline (10% of RSA), and jewels like
Kosi Bay, Lake Sibaya, Sodwana Bay, uMkhuze
Game Reserve, False Bay, Fanies Island,
Charters Creek, Lake St Lucia, Cape Vidal
and Maphelane. This is far larger than the
98ha town of St Lucia
Many people began therefore to feel the
Wetland Park had outgrown its original name.
The island country of St Lucia in the Caribbean
with its own listed World Heritage Site
has a very strong market presence, thus
diluting the brand value of our Greater
St Lucia Wetland Park, and causing some
global confusion.
Following an extensive public consultative
process, the name was gazetted in terms
of Sections 1 and 11 of the World Heritage
Convention Act, 1999 on May 11 this year,
effective from November 1.
The name Lake St Lucia, named by the Portuguese
in about1459, as well as other branded and
indigenous names like uMkhuze, Maphelane,
Lake Sibiya, Sodwana Bay, Cape Vidal and
Kosi Bay will remain. The word iSimangaliso
has a rich historical context. uJeqe was
King uShaka’s insila or aide, the keeper
of the King’s secrets and customarily buried
with him. When uShaka died in 1828, uJeqe
fled to avoid this fate.
He wandered east into Thongaland, which
includes today Wetland Park, and later returned,
saying: “I saw wonders and miracles in the
flat land and the lakes of Thonga”
From this followed an isiZulu saying: “If
you have seen miracles, you have seen what
uJeqe saw: Ubone isimanga esabonwa wuJeqe
kwelama Thonga”. So uJeqe could be regarded
as one of the first tourists to visit what
is now the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and
to appreciate its miracles and spiritual
values - recognised 171 years later by the
176 UNESCO member countries who supported
its World Heritage Site listing. These include
Africa’s largest estuarine system, the tallest
forested dunes, the most southerly coral
reefs, the renowned turtle-nesting beaches
and the marine canyons in which South Africa’s
first living coelacanths were found.
The description of Wetland Park has therefore
been retained and linked with the isiZulu
word. We are truly excited to have this
new name for 2010 and beyond.
The iSimangaliso Authority - as it will
also be renamed - is launching an imaginative
modern icon to launch the branding/marketing
drive to take this unique and beautiful
region to new heights. iSimangaliso Wetland
Park Authority CEO Andrew Zaloumis says
“We are happy to have a name at last. We
can now, together with our partners and
communities, get on with the job of building
a strong market presence for the Park”
A NEW ICON FOR THE iSIMANGALISO WETLAND
PARK
Along with the new name comes a new icon
for the Simangaliso Wetland Park to be used
in signage, branding, marketing and communications.
Several factors influenced its design:
World Heritage values including geographical
uniqueness, spiritual values and sense of
place
The perfect balance and proportions within
nature
The role people and cultures have played
- and continue to play: local communities,
employees, and visitors
The interaction of people with nature and
the yin and yang balance
Rationale
Water - one of the most basic components
of life. Evoking a distinctive, globally
valued, landscape of clear seas, lakes,
pans, rivers and estuaries.
Nature - a mathematical or geometric pattern
is inherent in natural design including
60 million year-old fossil ammonites, unfurling
fern frond, the way a chameleons’ tail curls.
Sun - life is ultimately dependent on energy
from the sun, which is captured by green
plants which are the basis of the food chain
for all life on earth.
People - vibrant and directional. People
are an integral part of the landscape and
future of the park
The triangle formed by the red sides and
yellow bow represents a dynamic, forward-moving
organization.
Diamond shape - a pattern providing great
structural strength, symbolising power strength,
brilliance and unparalleled beauty. It also
echoes the diamond shape in World Heritage
icon.
But, like the ‘sense of place’ identified
with the iSimangaliso Wetland Park during
the mining debate, the icon can mean different
things to different people.
Use of the new name, other than as a geographic
description in a sentence, is regulated
by the iSimangaliso Wetland Authority. Permission
to use the name, logo and brand in any other
context has to be obtained beforehand in
writing from the Authority.
Riaan Aucamp (Minister's Spokesperson)
