The environment, forestry and fisheries department will fork out R40m for boundary fencing of the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) after years of community outcry.
The department confirmed the funding after KwaZulu-Natal economic development, tourism and environmental affairs MEC Sboniso Duma made the announcement at a portfolio committee meeting on Tuesday.
“The department will fund the fencing of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park for R40m for 40km,” said spokesperson Peter Mbelengwa.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) spokesperson Musa Mntambo said the funds would be distributed via EKZNW.
“We are aware of the amount of more than R40m we will receive, that is true. They will be give the funds to Isimangaliso [Wetlands Park] who will distribute it to us,” he said.
The announcement comes after communities surrounding the park in northern KwaZulu-Natal complained for years about the danger inadequate boundary fencing poses to their lives and their livestock.
Five lions escaped close to the Okhukho rural community near Ulundi and killed at least five cattle in July 2022. Two white rhino from the same park escaped a month later. They were all later recaptured.
The agitated communities of Okhukho and Nqulwane vowed to fence parts of the park themselves after several encounters with escaped wildlife.
Environment, forestry and fisheries minister Barbara Creecy and Duma visited the park in March to “inspect parts of HiP in respect to [the] boundary fence to keep wild animals from escaping the park into the nearby communities”.
The DA said the announcement was “encouraging”.
“Swift implementation and sustained maintenance of the new boundary fence — coupled with strengthened community relations — are imperative in sustaining this project,” DA spokesperson Heinz de Boer said.
“With the fencing funding dealt with, the DA awaits construction timeframes, with a raft of other conservation legislation that has yet to be tabled.”
The news met with both relief and scepticism from community leaders.
Langalethu Mkhwanazi, an induna (headsman) in the Ophondweni area, said intervention by the department was welcomed.
“If it happens, it would be great news to us because it’s what we have been asking for for generations. I’m 53 years old and we’ve been fighting this fight, in one [way] or another, for as long as I can remember, so we would really welcome that,” he said.
However, Msizi Myaka, spokesperson for the Okhukho Community Civil Organisation, did not share Mkhwanazi’s optimism.
Myaka said trust between the community and EKZNW had deteriorated so much they would only be optimistic once timeframes were in place.
“It’s the people from Ezemvelo we don’t trust because they haven’t said anything tangible, without a date for the start of the fencing. We want timeframes and deadlines so we can hold them to account. For now there is no firm confirmation from Ezemvelo.”
Myaka also differed with De Boer's claims that HiP had been “systematically torn apart” by disgruntled community members and poachers over many years, which had resulted in human fatalities as well as a number of elephants and lions being shot after escapes.
The crisis could be blamed on the “unsatisfactory” job done by a contractor who erected boundary fencing in 2018 and EKZNW not fixing the river crossings washed away by floods.
Myaka added that the R40m would not be enough to solve the problem in the long-term because wildlife also escaped via the river crossings through the Upper and Lower Umfolozi rivers (also known as Black and White Umfolozi rivers).
“There are five river crossings these animals also escape from so they will need concrete first, then add the fencing to ensure it’s solved for the long-term,” he said.
“R40m will not be enough to fence the whole HiP and l doubt this amount will be enough to deal with the five river crossings, at estimated value of R15m each, which are major spots for escaping wildlife.”
Mkhwanazi and Myaka also complained about the lack of compensation for damage caused by wildlife to the community.
“In the area I lead in Ophondweni there was an animal that escaped from the park and decimated 15 goats from one family, a few years ago. There was not even a cent paid to compensate that family.”
Myaka said the proximity of wildlife caused the spread of ticks, mites and other parasites to their livestock, bringing diseases and death.
“We are concerned that amatele, foot and mouth and other diseases are still prevalent in our communities and more livestock are sick while others have died. We call on the department of agriculture and EKZNW to come up with a strategic wildlife/livestock disease management plan. Most communities around the park are practising subsistence farming,” he said.
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