Controversial rezoning approved?

[Richprins]

Here's a more in-depth article from yesterday's Lowvelder: (Hope you can read!)









The scary thing is the mention of a new entrance gate in the South too!

[Lisbeth]

It is more or less what I posted three pages back, but the more controversial issues were obviously left out in the document released by Sanparks //\0--

[Sprocky]

Why don't they just pull the fences down, make the area a free for all and forget about conservation completely, as it is just getting in the way of their final plan. KNP will soon be inhabited by the local population, make shift housing will be erected and all the tree's will be chopped down for fire wood. Animals will be poached to feed the masses and the top brass of SANParks that don't even have the decency to communicate with their clients, will all be sitting in lush houses in the northern suburbs of JHB!

[Richprins]

I will have to retract my earlier statement that it was a lie that Mbombela was building a road to the area...Mbombela is actually the whole municipal area from Hazyview to the N4 west of the Park, not just Nelspruit, so it does not refer to the "N4 ring-road" bypass!

[Lisbeth]

How is the the new 2km zone going to be be put into practice?

Are the gates going to be moved or are there going to be a check point 1 and check point 2?

What is going to happen to this piece of land?

Sanparks is talking about schools, hospitals, hotels and what do I know, but how is this going to happen economically and practically?

I still insist in saying that the rezoning is a legalized theft of a piece of conservation area until Sanparks do not prove that this will actually help raising the level of living of the communities.

In my opinion it will need investments that neither Sanparks nor the RSA are able to grant.

Can somebody help me understand this move, please!!

[Richprins]

The 2km PDZ is inside the Park, no theft!

The Buffer zone is outside the Park...new info suggests only tourism/conservation/agricultural development there, no residential development as in communities putting up living quarters...don't know how legal that is!?

Fortunately EVERYTHING still has to go through EIA process...or so Dr Mabunda says!

[Richprins]

As I read the PDF, the existing gates will stay as is, with hotels/lodges just outside the Park at Numbi and Phabeni, and new lodges outside the Park with the 2 new gates...

The schools and clinics are a smokescreen, IMO!

[Lisbeth]

I still do not understand The 2km corridor is inside the park and what are they going to do with this piece of land? Isn't that the "gift" to the communities?

[Richprins]

No, read the ending of the above article carefully...the 3km buffer zone OUTSIDE National Parks is for community development!

[Lisbeth]

How can it be outside, with all the private reserves? But I will read once more

P.S. The periphery to me is inside The Malelane hotel is included and that is certainly inside.