DURBAN - THE KwaZulu-Natal conservation authority is in desperate need of close to R100 million to improve its perimeter fences at some of its nature reserves to ensure that adjacent communities are protected from wild animals.
The management of KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife told the members of the Environmental Affairs Portfolio Committee yesterday that it needs about R99 million to improve its fences to cover 13 protected areas.
The organisation manages about 110 protected areas that cover about 8% of the province. It said its fences had been destroyed through acts of arson, damaged by communities and in some cases compromised by poor workmanship.
The revelations come after rangers had to put down an elephant after it escaped at one of its reserves. Three elephants had escaped and two were returned to the reserve, but one had to be put down.
The committee members said it was concerning that fences in the reserve were being deliberately vandalised, adding that this was an indication that there were very poor relations between the reserves and the surrounding communities.
Ezemvelo acting chief executive Ntsikelelo Dlulane painted a dire picture of the state of its fences in some reserves. He said general problems it encountered included inadequate maintenance of the fence, and that there had been numerous incidents in which the fences had been cut, which exposed the community to dangerous animals in the reserves.
“When there are fires or arson, that compromises the integrity of the fence, and animals like hyenas can easily dig under the fence and escape. That is why we have problems with some of our neighbouring communities. Another contributing factor is that our electric fence gets compromised and the big game can easily push the fence and walk out,” he said.
He added that in their budget they were also putting aside funds to purchase materials for fencing, so it would be quickly available in an emergency.
“We are also going back to our old practice where we buy the fence and then appoint community members around the area where there is a need. That way we create employment opportunities.”
He said there had also previously been discussions to employ local communities around the reserves to monitor the fences and alert the organisation when they had been damaged.
Dlulane also revealed that the organisation had fired four staff members, including a senior official, for poor workmanship in the installation of the fences. He said Ezemvelo had also dismissed a service provider who installed a fence, and laid criminal charges against the service provider and the former employees and was also instituting a civil claim against these parties.
DA committee member Heinz de Boer said the problems with fencing were a clear indication that there were serious problems between the communities and Ezemvelo resorts.
“As a committee we need to realise that none of these problems are going to be resolved, the fences will continue to be damaged by arson and by poachers until we come up with some kind of economic development package that will benefit all the communities that live around these wildlife areas,” he said.
MF committee member Thakur Rajbansi said the cost of the fencing was too high.
“We are told that the fencing is going to cost about R99m, we are told that R20m will be coming from the national government which means the province still needs to find about R79m.”
She said Ezemvelo needed to get creative with protecting its fences, especially when it came to fire.
“Have you considered putting gravel on either side of the fence (to prevent it from being burnt). We know we have problems with the community, so why not first go and iron out the problems with the community on how this fence is going to work,” she said.
The Mercury