More than three years after being torn down by neighbouring communities, the eastern fence of Ndumo Game Reserve has been restored at last.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife announced on Thursday that 11km of fencing torn down in May 2008 had been replaced, but acknowledged that the future of the fence could not be guaranteed without the help of the police and army.
Ezemvelo spokesman Sifiso Keswa said the decision to re-erect the fence was taken “in response to increasing invasion, poaching and threats to tourists and field rangers”.
The fencing project at the internationally protected Ramsar wetland site began in June and, according to Keswa, people had been arrested over the past few months following threats to destroy the fence by members of the neighbouring Mbangweni and Bhekabantu communities.
In an attempt to address some of the communities’ grievances, Ezemvelo and the agriculture department would fence off two 10-hectare communal farming plots inside Ndumo. The areas would include basic irrigation pumps, piping and water tanks.
The new fence had been damaged several times and building material had been stolen.
“The threat still remains that these incidents of damage and theft will reoccur.
“There has been ongoing liaison between Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife staff and senior officers within both the SAPS and the SANDF, on how to mitigate the threats being levelled at the fence and the protected area.
“Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife cannot alone protect this boundary.”
Nevertheless, Ezemvelo was optimistic that the communities would take “a progressive stance and respect the integrity of the boundary and deal with their concerns constructively”.
Ezemvelo would also engage the communities to resolve land claim issues. A claim was lodged by 114 families in 1995 to part of the reserve, resulting in a settlement agreement in 2000 which restored community title to the disputed section, with the proviso that the land would be retained for nature conservation in perpetuity.
However, within a year of the fence being removed, some locals occupied areas inside the reserve not affected by the land claim.
Several animals had also been poached, a suspension bridge was destroyed and a ranger’s camp was vandalised.
“These incidents all posed a threat to safety… adding to the urgency of restoring the fence,” said Keswa. - The Mercury