Africa Wild

The killing of Ndumo Game Reserve

This ongoing devastation of Ndumo has caused disillusioned wildlife and bird enthusiasts to question whether EKZNW is interested only in the province’s larger, more profitable reserves.
TAMLYN JOLLY | 4 November 2014 12:30

NDUMO Game Reserve, renowned for its diversity and abundance of bird life, is now by all accounts suffering much destruction through human encroachment from its eastern boundary down to the Pongola River which traverses the reserve.This destruction has reportedly been ongoing for at least three years and came about after a land claim by the Mbangweni community.According to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) spokesperson Musa Mntambo, ‘The eastern boundary at Ndumo Game Reserve is a long-standing political issue. To the best of my knowledge, the land claim has been settled, but apparently was not settled correctly and there are issues which are being handled by Land Affairs’.The KwaZulu-Natal branch of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform declined to comment or explain the issues surrounding the land claim.Recent visitors to Ndumo have confirmed the desecration of its eastern section and have voiced their concern over an apparently dwindling rhino population.‘Having recently traversed all the reserve’s roads and tracks, I saw only one pile of fresh white rhino droppings and no sign of black rhino,’ said one visitor.Mntambo, however, stated that Ndumo has lost only two rhino to poaching this year and none have been removed.Contrary to this, Zululand Wildlife Forum Co-ordinator Tim Condon, said Ndumo’s rhino population has decreased to about six.‘They are all white rhino and all in the south west, away from the Mozambique and invader borders.‘Rangers will not patrol along the river as they have been threatened and [now] stay around the [remaining] rhino,’ said Condon.All game, including hippo, have reportedly ‘vanished’ from the eastern side of the river.When asked about the fence along Ndumo’s eastern boundary, Mntambo confirmed there is no fence because any fence erected is stolen by the community’.This is supported by comments from Ndumo visitors dating back to December 2011 when it was reported that, ‘The Mbangweni Tribe has destroyed large sections of the recently re-erected fence’.Disillusioned visitors‘Billowing smoke from continual burning and constant chainsaws we heard were disturbing signs of what is going on. Where once large trees and thick bush dominate, is now open sky,’ said a distraught birder after a visit to Ndumo last month.A slash-and-burn policy allegedly undertaken by the community inside Ndumo has devastated riverine forests and floodplains, essential to the survival of many species this reserve serves to protect.This ongoing devastation of Ndumo has caused disillusioned wildlife and bird enthusiasts to question whether EKZNW is interested only in the province’s larger, more profitable reserves.The future of Ndumo Game Reserve is currently under discussion by the conservation authority and numerous other parties and a comprehensive plan is being developed for the area.

If something drastic is not done very soon all our parks will be going this way....so sad

Communities are promised heaven and earth in election year, and when they don't get it, they take.

Will there be any wild spaces left in a couple of years??

What a disaster!

This is an unsolved problem and has been so for several years now

BHEKABANTU AND MBANGWENI IRRIGATION SCHEME

Proposal Description:
The proposal is to construct/develop irrigation schemes within the Mbangweni and Bhekabantu Local Areas Located within the uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality. The proposed development will include extraction of water from the Phongola River, Storage of the Water in water tanks, installation of sprinkler systems, clearing and fencing of farming area. The total area will be 84ha with the project to affect portions of land that fall within the Ndumu Game Reserve.
Expanded Motivation:
The proposed development is needed to curb the conflict that has been arising in the past between the affected community and the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. There are existing farming activities in the area which have seen community members cutting down fences of the Ndumu Game Game Reserve to access land along the Phongola River which are moist and therefore more suitable for farming. The proposed development will result in increased farming success as the areas are fertile but dry making irrigation a necessity.
Application Date:
Thursday, March 5, 2015 - 17:27
Case ID:
7297

DRAFT SCOPING REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED BHEKABANTU AND MBANGWENI IRRIGATION SCHEMES available:

http://www.sahra.org.za/sites/default/s ... COPING.pdf

NEED AND DESIRABILITY OF THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY
There has always been animosity between Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (Ezemvelo) and the local
community regarding the community entering the Ndumo Nature Reserve as well as taking
down the fence to access the water from the river which is inside the boundaries of the nature
reserve. Due to the area near the river being more fertile this has also caused communities to
plant their crops in the nature reserve. The solution to the issue at hand was to engage DARD
with regards to setting up these irrigation schemes which will act as a buffer between the
community and the nature reserves.
There has also been a belief from the state vets that the main source of the foot and mouth
disease that engulfed the UMkhanyakude District Municipality is the mingling of the cattle with
the buffalo from the nature reserve due to lack of fencing. Buffalos are known to be carries of
the foot and mouth disease but they themselves are not affected by the disease. Creating
buffer will ensure that the fences will not be taken down by the community as they will also be
protecting their agricultural development.
According to the DARD, the need for development of this scheme has existed for a long time, as
there has been some friction between this community and the KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife which
culminated in the community destroying some parts of the fence around Ndumo Game
Reserve. The proposed Government’s initiative to extend the Makhathini Irrigation Scheme to
include this area has, after some extensive consultation, been welcomed by the local
community with great enthusiasm and excitement. There is a noticeable paradigm shift in the
attitude of the community towards the Government and its initiative.

Do some of you have news on this issue ?

I was in Ndumo last July and I did not hear about it, there seemed to be no conflict about land. An official at Tembe Elephant Park even told me there was a project to join the 2 reserves by buying the land in-between them...