Parks will not be cut up
According to the environment minister some communities have started cutting park fences and are squatting there, allegedly with the blessing of traditional authorities.
Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta says he will never allow national parks to be reduced in size for the settlement of people.
His fierce reaction followed a call for reducing the size of the Etosha National Park to accommodate people.
This was contained in a draft summary of recommendations from the regional land consultations held in July this year. The document was compiled in preparation of the second national land conference taking place in early October.
The document was discussed last week during a meeting of regional representatives, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and other ministers, including land reform minister Utoni Nujoma and finance minister Calle Schlettwein.
Shifeta, who was speaking at an event at the Waterberg National Park during the weekend, said he would not allow national parks such as Etosha to be “cut up”.
Shifeta said there have been requests from people to reduce the size of national parks for human settlement.
According to him in some areas communities have started cutting park fences and are camping in protected areas.
There have been frequent reports of settlements created close to waterholes in national parks, in particular in the Zambezi Region, where communities settle with their livestock, creating human-wildlife conflict.
“They have told us that they have received approval from their traditional leaders to do this.”
Shifeta emphasised that traditional leaders do not have any rights over national parks, which are owned by the state.
“They have already sold the land to us. Traditional leaders have no rights to give away this land. I will not allow it. I will not allow our parks to be cut,” he said.
Several national parks, declared and gazetted after independence, including Bwabwata, Mangetti and Mudumu were established after land was purchased from the relevant traditional authorities.
The document further included calls for allocating land within national parks to marginalised communities such as the San.
“There were ... discussions that the San people and other marginalised Namibians be resettled in [national] game parks to co-exist with wildlife and other natural resources as their customs and traditions entail,” according to the document.
The discussions, although confidential, may have been in response to a High Court claim filed in May 2017 by the Hai//Om San community where they laid claim to parts of Etosha National Park and 11 farms in the Mangetti area as their ancestral land. They are represented in the matter by Andrew Corbett (SC) and Natasha Bassingsthwaite on instruction from the Legal Assistance Centre.
Shifeta said the ministry is continuing to provide communication, education and community awareness programmes, although much still needs to be done in this regard.
“Our parks such as Etosha National Park are surrounded by communities and farmers. Therefore we need to do more on our awareness and education for a better understanding of the importance of wildlife and the existence of national parks.”
He added that communities have a role to play through their local leaders, such as traditional authorities and conservancies, in combatting wildlife crime.
ELLANIE SMIT
His fierce reaction followed a call for reducing the size of the Etosha National Park to accommodate people.
This was contained in a draft summary of recommendations from the regional land consultations held in July this year. The document was compiled in preparation of the second national land conference taking place in early October.
The document was discussed last week during a meeting of regional representatives, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and other ministers, including land reform minister Utoni Nujoma and finance minister Calle Schlettwein.
Shifeta, who was speaking at an event at the Waterberg National Park during the weekend, said he would not allow national parks such as Etosha to be “cut up”.
Shifeta said there have been requests from people to reduce the size of national parks for human settlement.
According to him in some areas communities have started cutting park fences and are camping in protected areas.
There have been frequent reports of settlements created close to waterholes in national parks, in particular in the Zambezi Region, where communities settle with their livestock, creating human-wildlife conflict.
“They have told us that they have received approval from their traditional leaders to do this.”
Shifeta emphasised that traditional leaders do not have any rights over national parks, which are owned by the state.
“They have already sold the land to us. Traditional leaders have no rights to give away this land. I will not allow it. I will not allow our parks to be cut,” he said.
Several national parks, declared and gazetted after independence, including Bwabwata, Mangetti and Mudumu were established after land was purchased from the relevant traditional authorities.
The document further included calls for allocating land within national parks to marginalised communities such as the San.
“There were ... discussions that the San people and other marginalised Namibians be resettled in [national] game parks to co-exist with wildlife and other natural resources as their customs and traditions entail,” according to the document.
The discussions, although confidential, may have been in response to a High Court claim filed in May 2017 by the Hai//Om San community where they laid claim to parts of Etosha National Park and 11 farms in the Mangetti area as their ancestral land. They are represented in the matter by Andrew Corbett (SC) and Natasha Bassingsthwaite on instruction from the Legal Assistance Centre.
Shifeta said the ministry is continuing to provide communication, education and community awareness programmes, although much still needs to be done in this regard.
“Our parks such as Etosha National Park are surrounded by communities and farmers. Therefore we need to do more on our awareness and education for a better understanding of the importance of wildlife and the existence of national parks.”
He added that communities have a role to play through their local leaders, such as traditional authorities and conservancies, in combatting wildlife crime.
ELLANIE SMIT
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