NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
(For written reply)
QUESTION NO. 187
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 26 of 2009
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20 November 2009
Mr D A Worth (DA-FS) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental
Affairs:
(1) Whether the Qwaqwa Nature Reserve has been incorporated into the
Golden Gate National Park; if not, why not; if so, what are the
relevant details;
(2) whether the SANParks has since incorporation erected any new fences
around the Qwaqwa Nature Reserve section of the park; if not, why not;
if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) in respect of the latest specified 12-month period for which
information is available, how many metres of fence around the Qwaqwa
Nature Reserve section of the park had been in a state of disrepair or
nonexistent;
(4) whether the SANParks has increased efforts to combat poaching in the
Qwaqwa Nature Reserve section of the park; if not, why not; if so,
what are the relevant details;
(5) whether the Free State Provincial Government will continue to have
any role in this park; if so, what are the relevant details?
CW270E
Mr D A Worth (DA-FS)
SECRETARY TO PARLIAMENT
HANSARD
PAPERS OFFICE
PRESS
187. THE MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ANSWERS:
(1) Yes. 95 properties that comprised the former Qwaqwa Nature Reserve
into the Golden Gate Highlands National Park as per Ministerial
declaration.
(2) Yes. SANParks commenced with the processes to enable the erection of
new fences when the declaration was published; measuring, determining
specifications, quantifying costs, accessing funds, preparing tender
documentation, going out on tender, etc. The actual replacement of the
fence has not started yet, as the work was put out on tender in
November 2009 and the pre-tender meeting for prospective contractors
was held on 20 November 2009. It is envisaged that the actual work on
this project will commence in January 2010. R11m was made available
for purposes of a new fence by the Department of Environmental
Affairsâ Social Responsibility Programme and R1.5mil was made
available through the Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation
Area programme.
(3) It is estimated that over 70% of the current fence is non-existent.
(4) Yes. Since the former Free State Province staff were transferred to
SANParks, resources have been allocated and supervision and monitoring
mechanisms have been established to, inter alia, increase the visible
presence along the boundaries of the new section of the Park, increase
veld patrols and specifically increase efforts towards securing area
integrity in the newly acquired areas, thus enhancing efforts to
combat poaching.
(5) No.
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