AWF Assists Local Community in South Africa

If natural habitats are to be conserved, the people who depend on them must also survive. AWF believes that through conservation enterprise, conservation areas can be developed into commercially viable land, which can leverage space for wildlife while improving the livelihoods of local people. By assisting rural communities to establish conservation enterprises, the presence of wild animals becomes a potentially profitable opportunity rather than a costly nuisance.

In this spirit, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is assisting the Danjie/Mpakeni Tribal Authority to take over the management of the Mthetomusha Game Reserve, which houses the upscale Bongani Mountain Lodge in AWF-designated Limpopo Heartland.

The Mthetomusha Game Reserve in South Africa's Mpumalanga region occupies a triangle of land dominated by huge granite domes and rocky outcrops with sweeping valleys below, and is an exclusive extension of the Kruger National Park. Here, perched atop a granite mountain with spectacular views, is where you will find the upscale Bongani Mountain Lodge.

One aspect sets this lodge apart from others: its link with the community. Over ten years ago, traditional land-owning communities affiliated with conservation bodies for their common good. It was a pioneering decision at the time: CCAfrica managed Bongani Mountain lodge, while the community owned the land, which the Mpumalanga Parks Board managed.

However, the Mpumalanga Parks Board now wishes to review its agreement with the Danjie/Mpakeni Tribal Authority. It would like the community to take over management of the reserve. This take-over could provide great opportunities for the community.

"AWF, via its White River Conservation Service Center, is assisting the Mthetomusha community in this process. AWF specializes in the creation of profitable ventures based on the sustainable use of wildlife and wild lands," explains Lamson Makuleke, AWF's Community Development Officer in White River.

AWF will assist the community in drafting its own agreement with the lodge owners and the development of new agreements. The tribal authority also requested that the people be properly trained and be equipped with relevant skills before they can take ownership of the land and Mthetomusha Game Reserve. So far, consultations with different communities around the reserve are taking place.

Lack of agricultural potential in the area prompted the proclamation of the Mthethomusha Game Reserve in 1985. This was a joint move by the Mpakeni Tribal Authority and the former KaNgwane Parks Corporation (KPC). Ten years later the KPC was incorporated into the Mpumalanga Parks Board.

The community now needs to apply for the land transfer. The Provincial Department of Land Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Mpumalanga Parks Boards was consulted and support the land transfer, says Makuleke. The chief and tribal authorities are part of the steering committee.

The Mthetomusha community has every reason to be proud of their work and involvement in the lodge," says Makuleke.

The Matsulu theatre group welcome guests to Bongani with its own theatre performance. Theatre is part of Bongani's cultural tourism program, through which the local theatre group is able to earn additional income. The community enjoys numerous other benefits from the reserve, including the supply of renewable natural resources and a range of employment opportunities. Positive links with the local community has also resulted in a decline in subsistence poaching, which is still prevalent in the neighbouring Kruger National Park.