COVID 19: Ezemvelo

[Klipspringer]

Ezemvelo on the ropes

Estelle Sinkins

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife may be forced to limit or even stop some of its conservation work in the province unless it gets a significant cash injection.

The Covid-19 pandemic and national lockdown has had a devastating financial impact on the embattled conservation entity.


In a report to the KwaZulu-Natal legislature’s portfolio committee on economic development, tourism and environmental affairs, the organisation reported a shortfall of R34,5 million for April and May.

They also estimate that they could lose R199 million from tourism-related revenue, and another R9,8 million from other income streams.


Musa Mntambo, spokesperson for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, said they had made submissions to the province’s MEC for Finance, Ravi Pillay, in the hope that he could provide some aid in his interim budget. “With the limited budget that we have, we are being forced to stop or limit conservation work, which will have a drastic knock-on effect on our mandate and conservation in the province,” he added.

“It could mean cutting back by 50% on helicopter hours, which would impact rhino poaching intervention.

“We have also reviewed and either suspended or cancelled some contracts that we had. It will not be enough though and there are some conservation initiatives that will be affected should we not succeed in securing additional funding.”

While Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s financial woes have been criticised by opposition parties in the past, right now they want to help it to survive.

Heinz de Boer, the Democratic Alliance’s KZN spokesperson on economic development, tourism and environmental affairs, confirmed that the entity had a massive hole in its budget as a result of the pandemic.

It has had to refund R2 million in accommodation fees, has under-collected on gate fees and the sale of consumables and fuel at provincial parks and has lost R5,2 million in wildlife sales and hunting package income.

“The financial loss could have massive ramifications for the protection of ... endangered wildlife,” De Boer said.

Poachers have claimed the lives of 50 rhinos between January and the first week of July in KZN. While this is 16 fewer than in the same period last year, Mtambo said it was still not acceptable.

Conservation organisations are concerned these figures could climb if Ezemvelo is forced to renegotiate contracts with service providers.

De Boer said: “The vulture project in the Drakensberg is among the projects that have been left without airborne monitoring.

“Covid has similarly put the kybosh on several other projects ... [including] the inability to renovate tourist or staff accommodation in the flagship Hluhluwe-Mfolosi Park.”

Ezemvelo has also been unable to buy much-needed computers and IT infrastructure and hundreds of critical vacancies remain unfilled, which could contribute to further degradation.

De Boer believes the solution would be for Nomusa Dube-Ncube, the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, to enter into more public/private partnerships.

“I’ve been contacted by so many people who want to help Ezemvelo because they recognise that the entity is in trouble,” he said, adding that these kinds of partnerships would work well in running accommodation and tourism businesses in parks and reserves.

De Boer also intends pressing Dube-Ncube to set a date to open all of Ezemvelo’s parks and reserves to people who want to stay overnight or spend a longer period in KZN’s wild areas.

Under the current lockdown regulations only a limited number of reserves and parks are open for day visitors.

Francois du Toit, Project Rhino ambassador, CEO of the African Conservation Trust and director of the World Youth Wildlife Summit, agrees with De Boer that Ezemvelo should partner with business and local communities.

He added the organisation should never have to go “cap in hand to the Finance Department” to allow it to carry out its conservation mandate.

Du Toit also believes the Covid-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of government investing in the wildlife economy. “Well-managed rangelands supported many people in the past and ecological agriculture or wild management could well prove the provider,” Du Toit said.

“Game meat has massive potential to create hundreds of thousands of jobs alongside a vibrant red meat industry and a self-sustaining ecological approach to landscape management.

“Too often we tend to focus on international markets, tourists, and hold them up to be the experts on everything from community relations, resource usage and maximising returns.

“What we tend to forget is local is lekker, and whilst the international tourist does generate fantastic local benefits, jobs and income, what this latest pandemic has taught us is just how vulnerable we are.”

In the meantime, Du Toit said Project Rhino and other partner organisations would continue to support Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and especially the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park as they had done for the past 10 years. “We are 150% committed to conservation even though it is trying and testing at the moment,” he added.


https://www.news24.com/news24/southafri ... s-20200706

[Lisbeth]

Isn't it Ezemvelo which has been in difficulties, for various reasons, over the last few years?

[Richprins]

Yes, their money was stolen before Covid...

Most similar entities should have millions in investments for a rainy day.

[RogerFraser]

Eldest rugrat went to Imfolozi at the weekend .He reports that it is still run down .Many roads are closed and these were closed two years ago when we went there last .The shop was empty with nothing for sale .They also came across a suspected poaching scene so I think that the 50 is a conservative figure .There was also very few sightings so it may be the locals already partake of their own “Game meat" Unless KZN parks actually provide tourist worth parks and facilities their woes will continue game meat or not ...

[RogerFraser]

KZN Parks Lose R53 Million in Lockdown, Hope Visitors Will Return

https://travel.sapeople.com/2020/07/01/ ... fOB6J9r1SM

A loss of R53 million in revenue has been forced on KwaZulu-Natal’s parks because of the COVID-19 lockdown, which means less money for anti-poaching operations and wildlife monitoring, severely compromising the Big Five.


The Weenen Game Reserve, part of the Ezemvelo group of reserves. Photo: Facebook.

The Democratic Alliance has called on travelers to help Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife by making a day visit or stay-over at one of the many destinations managed by Ezemvelo, which “could help drag the entity away from the edge of the financial abyss.”

“Cutbacks in anti-poaching helicopter operations, coupled with other major cutbacks in wildlife monitoring, have already begun as Ezemvelo grapples with a R53 million loss in revenue,” said Heinz De Boer, the DA’s KZN spokesman on Economic Development and Tourism.

He said rhino poaching figures had already gone up by 3 percent in the fourth quarter of the financial year, as Ezemvelo renegotiated contracts with service providers like helicopter companies.

“The vulture project in the Drakensberg is among the projects that have been left without airborne monitoring.The entity has been dealt a double blow during the lockdown, having to refund R2 million in accommodation fees while it under-collected on gate fees, the sale of consumables, and fuel at provincial parks. R5.2 million was cumulatively lost in wildlife sales and hunting package income.

“There has been an inability to renovate tourist or staff accommodation in the flagship Hluhluwe, Mfolosi Park, and much-needed computers and IT infrastructure could not be purchased. Hundreds of critical vacancies are unable to be filled, adding to the degradation of facilities and the risk of more poaching of endangered wildlife.

[Lisbeth]

Great to have Covid-19 to give all the blame

[RogerFraser]

they were not doing great before then either but now there is a easy cause to take the blame for all the mismanagement and problems

[Klipspringer]

Nyalazi gate at Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park to reopen Tuesday
All staff members who work at the gate have been requested to self-isolate for 10 days
57 mins ago

THE Nyalazi Gate at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is expected to reopen on Tuesday morning after it was closed at the weekend after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19.

‘All staff members who work at the gate have been requested to self-isolate for 10 days.
‘The park is still accessible through the Memorial Gate, and we appeal to the public to use this gate,’ Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife said in a statement.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is one of 17 game reserves which have been reopened under lockdown Level 3.
Under the updated regulations, only self-drive excursions are permitted.

At this stage there is no limit on the number of people allowed in.

Health protocols such as hand sanitising, wearing of masks and social distancing must still be observed.

Accommodation facilities will remain closed to the public, except for those on business trips.

[Lisbeth]

Someone has not followed the rules of social distance

[Klipspringer]

Someone has not followed the rules of social distance

Or someone had to take a minibus taxi