REMARKS BY
MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI, MP
PRESIDENT OF THE RHINO AND ELEPHANT FOUNDATION
PATRON OF THE MAGQUBU NTOMBELA FOUNDATION
CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS
(KWAZULU NATAL)
MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND
PRESIDENT, INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY
PIETERMARITZBURG : MARCH 8, 2002
It is a pleasure for me to be a part of what
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has chosen to call a new dawn. The word
"dawn" has a certain poetry and has, throughout the history of
mankind, carried great significance, both literally and symbolically. The
ancient peoples of our world saw the dawn as a driver away of ghosts, the
overcomer of the darkness.
Today, we are witnessing a new dawn in
conservation in KwaZulu Natal. There is an awakening of awareness within our
Province of the interdependence of the sustainability of human life and the
conservation of biodiversity. The new light of this dawn shows how each
individual can make a significant contribution towards our collective goal to
preserve and promote our wildlife, our natural resources and our flora,
extracting the full economic, spiritual and social benefit for this generation
and the next.
Having been a part of the drive for conservation
in South Africa, and particularly in our beautiful Province of KwaZulu Natal,
for many years, I am well aware of the history of conservation in our Province.
The time-line of conservation here may be traced through several significant
events, beginning more or less with the reign of King Shaka who reinforced a
conservation ethic of intelligent and respectful use of natural resources. In
1866, the first game law was passed in the colony of Natal, dealing with the
protection of birds. This was followed by the colonial proclamation of various
game reserves both in Natal, such as Giants Castle, and in KwaZulu, such as
Hluhluwe, Mfolozi and Lake St Lucia. However, the road has not always been
smooth or marked by successes alone. Devastation followed in the aftermath of
the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, and in the last century, from 1918 to the late
1940s, South Africa experienced a virtual holocaust of its game.
Following the protection of wildlife extended by
the colonial administration, the Zululand Parks and Game Board was established.
This was followed by the Natal Parks, Game and Fish Preservation Board, which
was abbreviated to the Natal Parks Board, where equal emphasis was placed on
fisheries and game concerns. In response to the apartheid government’s
ideologies, we in the erstwhile KwaZulu Government initiated the Bureau of
Natural Resources which then became the Department of Nature Conservation. As
Chief Minister, I recognised the importance of nature conservation as well as
its inter-departmental and transversal nature, for which reason I made it one
of my portfolios. In fact, nature conservation has been an important part of my
life for as long as I can remember. I am proud to be associated with a project
which has brought the white rhino back from the brink of extinction, and am
honoured to avail my time and efforts towards all sustainable conservation in
South Africa.
Through the drive and commitment of its team,
the Department of Nature Conservation became a formidable force in KwaZulu
Natal within a few years and with very little financial resources. I am
saddened to admit that our success led to inevitable interdepartmental
jealousies and perhaps one day, for the sake of historical record, we may
publish some of the correspondence from that time. It does not make pleasant
reading. I mention this merely to show that we did not receive the
unconditional support which a project of this nature should command. However,
this evening I do not wish to dwell for long on the difficulties of our journey
in conservation.
The new dawn for conservation in KwaZulu Natal
began with the final amalgamation of the Natal Parks Board and the KwaZulu
Department of Nature Conservation after long and protracted negotiations. The
new Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has been built on the strengths of these two parent
organisations. This heritage ensures that the enormous challenges facing
conservation in this Province may be tackled with experience, skill and
courage. We cannot deny or avoid the fact that this is a complex province, but
its complexity is also its strength and this is reflected in the composition
both of the Board and the staff of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. I wish to take this
opportunity to compliment the KwaZulu Natal Nature Conservation Board on its
outstanding work. In doing so, I must applaud the leadership of its Chairman,
Professor S.V. Nzimande, who is now serving his second term. Likewise, I must
commend the CEO, Mr Khulani Mkhize, together with his staff, for their
commitment to securing our Province’s biodiversity for generations to come.
As the Minister giving overarching leadership, I also congratulate Minister
Narend Singh and his valuable team.
The vast array of responsibilities of the new
organisation range from law enforcement to scientific management, community
relationships, game capture, beach and fisheries protection, tourism and a
great deal more. The central government has clearly enunciated the importance
of tourism to South Africa and the economic benefits that flow from this
industry. However, in this Province a special emphasis has been placed on
tourism as one of the major potential sources of employment generation. This
was strongly highlighted by the Premier of KwaZulu Natal in his recent State of
the Province address.
KwaZulu Natal is well placed to play a major
role in this regard. The future of eco-tourism, as one aspect of the enormous
potential of tourism, is remarkable and must be fully tapped into. In the
rapidly changing environment of growing competition, pressure is increasing for
conservation to return economic benefits. The benefits of eco-tourism and edu-tourism
are already reaching the largely impoverished communities bordering protected
areas, particularly through the tourism levy. As we become leaders in
eco-tourism it is imperative that we never forget that it is the natural
resources and beauty of our Province that provide the attraction which draws
tourists. The first priority of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is the protection of
these all too fragile resources.
Throughout my life, I have travelled extensively
and I have become aware of increasing unease in both Western and Eastern
societies. There is a new search for spiritual understanding. This spiritual
search was clearly apparent during the recent 7th World Wilderness
Congress which I had the privilege to attend. There is a groping for a new dawn
of understanding of mankind’s role, and many people are looking to the
ancient cultures of Africa to find the seeds of new beginnings. Our traditional
cultures lived in an intrinsic understanding of the interdependence of man and
his natural environment, which led not only to a state of balance between man
and nature, but also to an inner spiritual balance. Modern man seems to need to
relearn his place in creation to find a new inner balance which reflects the
enormous growth in awareness, spirituality and intellect which we have
undergone since the time of our forebears.
Throughout recorded history, foreign men and
women have been entranced by Africa and this remains the case today, despite
what at times appear to be overwhelming troubles on this continent. There is an
indefinable spirit in Africa that since time immemorial has captured the
imagination of the world. There is perhaps an ancient African spark that
resides in all of us, waiting to be ignited. I believe this is the spark of
creativity, of deep cultural roots, of human fellowship and communion with the
created world. Deep down, I feel that this is the attraction for all people who
come to Africa. Personally, I feel that the dimensions of African spirituality
and our natural understanding of our place in creation, will make a great
contribution to the shaping of future collective world awareness.
As a Christian, I stand in awe of all creation.
For me, the beauty of an African dawn will forever remain a vision unmatched by
any throughout time, throughout the world. Indeed, it is through the light of
creation that many come to know the eternal characteristics of God. We see His
creativity and His brilliance. It is beyond the measure of our understanding to
fully appreciate that the Creator who set the planets on their eternal course
and placed the stars in the firmament, is the same who delighted in imprinting
a tiny sun on the underside of a simple starfish. Faced with the magnitude and
complexity of creation, I accept my role as a protector and keeper, a gardener
and nurturer of our diverse resources. In so doing, we participate in the great
scheme of the great architect of the universe and become instruments of His
unfolding creation. I believe that as we recognise our position in the
universe, and our capacity of influence, every human being will feel the deep
inner urge to preserve our natural environment, to give to our children the
blessings our parents have known.
One of the many challenges facing Ezemvelo KZN
Wildlife is the question of development. It is imperative to strike the right
balance and to avoid the pitfalls which have caused many conservation
programmes throughout the world to stumble. The national parks in America have
struggled with the challenges just as Skukuza, in our own national park, has.
We have very small areas of protected land and sensitivity must be practised
all the time. I believe that our principal objective should be to enable
visitors to have a life-changing experience as a result of visiting our parks.
All major development, though important, should be on the periphery.
In the old Natal Parks Board and the Department
of Nature Conservation there were always new and innovative ideas and it is
this innovative spirit that gives KwaZulu Natal the right to declare itself a
leader in conservation. As you know, last year the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park
achieved the status of a World Heritage Site. I was extremely pleased to read a
letter from Mr David Sheppard, CEO of the World Commission on Protected Areas,
expressing his experience of the KwaZulu Natal Nature Conservation Service
while in South Africa in 1999 as an evaluator for heritage status. In his
letter, he commends the outstanding management of protected areas, noting that
it is empowered by "a government which appreciates the vital role of parks
in biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, particularly in
relation to nature-based tourism". This is certainly an accolade for our
provincial Minister, Mr Narend Singh.
Operation Rhino, game capture techniques,
wilderness trails, turtle protection, wilderness areas and community
relationships are our inheritance from the work which has gone before by the
forerunners of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. It is essential that we build on their
successes and embark on a continuous process of internal organisational
examination. One of the many critical needs is the development of sound,
working relationships with non-governmental organisations, private game
ranchers, tour operators, Amafa, and Royal Zulu, to name but a few. In one way
or another, each of these depend on how Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife continues into
the future.
I feel that the most important effort which must
be undertaken is an increase in education and exchange on matters of nature
conservation with people living on the borders of KwaZulu Natal’s protected
areas. These communities have unique perspectives and knowledge which need to
be incorporated into the decision-making of KZN Wildlife. For this reason,
community conservation partnerships are a welcome development and should be
encouraged. Such partnerships may focus on sustainable programmes to promote
culturally, economically, socially and ecologically viable development. The
implementation of the community levy began many years ago and has had
significantly beneficial results. This is part of a system of consultative
co-management which is now replacing law enforcement orientated conservation. I
believe this is indeed the brightest hue of the new dawn before us.
I cannot overemphasise the need to take the work
of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife to the cities. The author and poet, D.H. Lawrence,
said "We are bleeding at the roots because we are cut off from the earth
and the sun and the stars". With the ever-increasing urbanisation of our
country, our roots in rural areas are being destroyed. It is our duty to
educate new urban generations to respect the earth and honour wild places from
whence many of our cultures emerged. Our youth in particular need to be taken
into the wilderness areas by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and organisations like Mbewu,
to learn from the elders, the way many of us of the older generation have done.
In the near future, the decisions of our youth could have far-reaching effects
on conservation. They need the opportunity of "listening to the land"
and having their dreams unfold on the red earth of Africa.
My dear friend, the late poet and writer Sir
Laurens van der Post, wrote as a reminder to the world that when he walked in
Africa, he was able to walk among the mysteries and complexities of his own
heart and mind and spirit, which he could not have reached in any other manner.
Perhaps therein resides the miracle and meaning of Africa for all of us. This
is our home, our heartland. Let us be proud to open her treasures to those for
whom such beauty and diversity remain a distant and romantic dream. As a whole,
mankind has been given the vastness of creation, but as an African people, we
feel a particular sense of belonging and ownership when we stand in a new dawn
on African soil.
I give my full support to the work of Ezemvelo
KZN Wildlife, trusting that with enthusiasm, good leadership, wisdom and
courage, it will meet the challenges of conservation in a changing world, so
that together we may greet a new dawn of true prosperity in KwaZulu Natal.
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