Question NW743 to the Minister of Environmental Affairs

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06 April 2017 - NW743

Profile picture: Hadebe, Mr TZ

Hadebe, Mr TZ to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

Whether the South African National Parks (SANParks) is considering to take full control of the provincial reserves which share unfenced boundaries with the Kruger National Park (KNP), including Letaba Ranch Game Reserve, Manyeleti Nature Reserve and Makuya Nature Reserve; if not, (a) has SANParks found the specified reserves to be managed effectively and (b) will she provide Mr T Z Hadebe with copies of the annual management reports of the reserves?

Reply:

As part of Government’s sustainable development agenda, the Department of Environmental Affairs is facilitating a programme of expansion and management effectiveness of the protected areas estate. This programme focuses on inter alia, consolidating conservation priority areas, looking at economies of scale, and minimising duplication and overlaps in conservation management. The National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act makes provision for SANParks to manage all existing national parks and any other kind of protected area as assigned by the Minister. From time to time, opportunities exist for land consolidation through contractual agreements with neighbouring land owners and land managers, with clear guidelines for incorporation of conservation land. The KNP is one such case in which the feasibility of land consolidation is being explored at the technical level prior to any potential stakeholder engagement. As such, no official decision has yet been taken for consolidation pending the outcome of the feasibility process.

(a) and (b)

SANParks is not the current management authority of the 3 Nature Reserves; and as such, provision of the required information of annual management reports can be provided by the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET).

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