Riverbed cycle challenge in Kgalagadi

[Wolf Avni]

the following is the text of my monthly column in the DRAKONTEUR newspaper, which is distributed throughout the Natal Midlands, the Southern Drakensberg and East Griqualand.

KGALAGADI QUESTIONS GO UNANSWERED


That Kgalagadi Riverbed cycle challenge we looked at last month, the one hatched in secrecy by a bunch of good ol’ ‘honorary rangers’, is causing a right old fuss. Right about now it’s looking like it may yet win an award as the single most catastrophic public relations exercise of the year in a country not short on governance debacles and parastatals vying to outdo each other in cronyism and graft.

We first became aware of the plan in a thread posted by freelance writer, Roxanne Reid, on October 10, 2012 on the Sanparks forum ( http://www.sanparks.org/forums/viewtopi ... 73&t=66245 ) where despite being consigned to an obscure board which is only visible to registered members, it took on a life all its own and in the space of one month attracted over 9000 views and nigh on 600 comments, the vast majority of which are scathingly negative. From there the subject of the Kgalagadi Riverbed Challenge spread across the web like fire in a village of thatched-roofs, to a variety of special interest sites ranging from 4x4 forums, to photographic sites, to journalists blogs ( http://www.roxannereid.co.za/1/post/201 ... agadi.html. )



Unsurprisingly, the strategy of corporate bullying that SANparks followed in their attempts to quell public outrage has backfired badly. For the most part their official responses have focussed first on applauding the generic wonderfulness of the honorary ranger movement while impugning the motives and intelligence of irked parties asking probing questions, then on pleading poverty ~ justifying the event as having potential to garnish great gouts of loot (but without providing any hard figures despite repeated requests for some sight of the financial plan). Then lastly and only lastly, they, SANparks, the custodians of the national natural heritage sweep all environmental concerns under the mat with glib little platitudes such as the gem from Gabrielle Venter, informing us that Sanparks staff are of the ‘opinion’ that no EIA is required... despite the fact that the proposed cycle route will see incursions deep into areas marked as ‘zero tourism impact permitted’ on the zonation maps that form part of their own Kgalagadi Transfrontiier park Management Plan.



So who then were these SANparks employees that made the determination? Petrol pump jockeys? Receptionists? Carpet-bagger tourism-product developers? I only ask because they seem incapable or unwilling to produce a single endorsement from an ecologist, or even a section ranger. The whisper on the grapevine is that large numbers of honorary rangers and SANparks own field staff are vehemently against the whole debacle. So perhaps the truth lies is the curious situation that where SANparks have in fact done an in house environmental assessment, the opinion of field staff who are actually qualified to make the determination is actually being suppressed. How paradoxical would that be if it were true, that the custodians of our last remaining wilderness areas are gagging the voices of their own staff... the ones with proper qualifications to actually have relevant environmental opinions?



Finally, on November 1st, Mr Reynold "Rey" Thakhuli , General Manager: Media, Events & Stakeholder Relations informed the forum thus; “With reference to a high interest and ongoing debate on the proposed Riverbed Cycle Challenge scheduled to take place in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in September 2013, SANParks has taken note of all the issues raised and is in the process of reviewing the suggestions given on the forum.As a public entity we remain accountable to the South African public and hold your views in high regard.

We thank you for your support and interest shown on the matter and assure you that the matter is receiving the attention of the management. A more informed decision on the matter will be communicated in due course.

Thank you once again for all the points raised and we trust this will reach you in good order”.

Since then, nothing. Not even a response to the forum member who asked when this more informed decision might be expected? So was this just more filibuster bulldust? It’s a strange way for a public entity that “remains accountable to the S.A. public” and “holds our views in high regard” to respond to the very stakeholders for whom it has such high regard.



Inevitably the national press has got whiff of the outrage that some are already dubbing Cyclegate. Everyday that SANparks continues to hide behind bland little communiqués devoid of substance, the public interest grows, the questions become more probing and the corporate credibility looks to be springing leaks faster than a roof of rotted old thatch .



On her blog at http://ow.ly/fc6ez ,freelance travel writer Roxanne Reid poses some twenty seven legitimte questions that remain unanswered, including;



“1. Given that Gabrielle Venter, SANParks Manager: Media & Stakeholder Relations says SANParks was ‘‘of the opinion’’ that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) wasn’’t needed, exactly which qualified staff (e.g. section rangers, ecologists, biologists, etc) were involved in the decision to go ahead with it? And did they support or express concerns about it?

2. Although the final Draft Basic Assessment report from Delron Consulting for the building developments at Nossob, Gharagab and Craig Lockhart (see Kgalagadi development update for more about this issue) doesn’’t deal with the cycle event itself, its relevance is clear in this sentence: ‘‘The river habitat is sensitive for disturbance and it is suggested that the disturbance should be kept to the minimum.’’ And that's from a firm hired by SANParks to do an environmental impact study in the KTP, albeit for a different purpose. Isn’’t this a clear indicator that if the cycle event has to be held inside the park (which I don’’t think it does) it should be anywhere except in the pristine fossilised riverbed? Why can it not be held, as forumites have suggested, on already degraded areas such as roads inside the park or, better still, outside the park where the local community can get involved and benefit from it (given the current drive towards responsible tourism, of which I’’m sure SANParks is aware)?


3. Where the event diverts off the road into a no-go zone (in terms of the zonation maps that are attached to the KTP management plan), why was no EIA carried out?

4. Given that a reconnaissance ride was undertaken in June 2011, and a promotional video advertising the event was posted on Facebook in July 2011, why was no management plan drawn up 18 months ago, before the decision was taken to proceed?

5. Why, according to the reply on the forum from Gabrielle Venter, is there still no Environmental Management Plan (EMP), a whole 17 months after the reconnaissance trip?



........27. One defense of this event has been to point to similar events in Kruger or other parks. Isn't it ingenuous to compare developed parks like Kruger, Table Mountain, Garden Route, etc, with KTP which, in the words of ex KTP park manager Nico van der Walt himself, has an ‘‘amazing sense of wilderness’’? “



But hey, don’t take my word for it... go see for yourself. Click on a link, register where required, take the tour and make your own mind up as to who is fooling who.

[BunnyHugger]

cut, cut, cut....

If the outcome is going to be positive, I can show patience, but I wish someone would please let me know for how long I will still have to be patient. A week? A month? A year?

A lifetime?

The simple thing is this Annie. SANPARKS do not believe in transparency. They do not believe that their judgement should in any way be questioned. I think they also believe that if they keep quiet long enough, we will simply stop asking awkward questions and go away. In my opinion, they have no concept of nature conservation and they don't have any concept of public service.

I think we all have frustrations regarding unanswered questions and I don't think they will be forthcoming with any answers any time soon.

I've just changed my mind about support for this particular one. Now if anyone hears about a ride through Kruger, lemme know so I can jump in riding shooz and all.

BH you can go riding ex Olifants camp as a bone fide activity...Thats nota problem as the area is TOTALLY DIFFERENT to the fragile Kgalagadi

I know about that one thanks. It's a very short ride as far as I remember. Not very good bang for ones buck. Just another case of SANPARKS exploitation and money making schemes.

The thing I would be most interested in is a long distance ride from one point to another similar to the Olifants River backpack trail where you go out for a few days and sleep over in the bush or at overnight stopover places.

I can well imagine though, the costs of something like that. It would also have a long term impact on the environment though. More so than the current bush walks.

So perhaps I should stop giving them ideas on how to ruin paradise and stick to riding around the Suikebosrand nature reserve.

[Flutterby]

Great article Wolf!!

[Richprins]

Well-written again, Wolf!

As I said earlier, once it's with Mr Thakhuli it's gone! That response he gave is pretty much a standard one...

We have tried in the past to get answers directly from SP staff on the ground, even while I was still on their forums, with some success. That practice was forbidden via internal word of mouth and muttered threats of dismissal eventually...so rarely works anymore.

Sp staff at ground level are afraid to speak out...one has to use contacts and verbal communication is the only avenue, normally, as they won'y leave any evidence with emails. This makes authenticating one's counter-arguments more difficult...which SP management knows very well!

Middle management I have found on two occasions to feel everyone should kiss and make up and work together. I get the impression they choose to believe the BS excuses made up by top management, and wish problems away or just try to make it through the day.

[Lisbeth]

Wolf!!

[Toko]

There is an official response on SPF from Mr. Glenn Phillips, Managing Executive: Tourism Development and Marketing.

They have changed the route for the event:

The new route will be on the tourist road from the airlift at Twee Rivieren to Gemsbok Plein (Day 1), from Gemsbok Plein across the dune road to Kij Kij (Day 2), and then back to the airfield at Twee Rivieren on the tourism road on day 3.
The other important thing to note is that this event is not a race, but a tour.

And Philips also explains the park zonation:

It also has to be noted that the zoning in the current Park Management Plan for Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park has made provision for activities of this nature. The zonation along the riverbed is zoned for low to medium intensity motorized access. In addition to this properly controlled tourism activities, are permitted in the riverbed.
It must therefore be clearly stated that there is nothing foreign with an activity of this type. However as a caring organization, your views are respected. Hence a decision to move the event to a new proposed location.

An EMP will be drawn up for the new route, as well.

Full statement here

[Toko]

This result can be considered to be a minor success : no off road cycling but the question remains: What is a National Park about?

[Mel]

Guess, it's a compromise. Still not happy about that cycle challenge itself,
but at least they moved it out of the riverbed.

[Lisbeth]

Guess, it's a compromise. Still not happy about that cycle challenge itself,
but at least they moved it out of the riverbed.

Agree with Mel! But if it is not a challenge, what is it? Are they going to close the roads, I don't think so (that's why it is not a challenge any more). I presume they will offer it to the tourists when they have seen the result of the first one

[Richprins]

Can you put the full statement up for those of us naughty ones not allowed to play there anymore?