The Sunday News
Vincent Gono
THE idea of countries coming together to form the Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) that began to take shape and effect at the turn of the millennium from where the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) which Zimbabwe is part of was motivated by the desire to support sustainable economic development and eco-tourism.
The establishment of transfrontier conservation areas is not just an exemplary process of partnerships between governments and the private sector but a solid foundation from where the environmentally friendly strategies that can counter such ills as climate change can be built.
Although the development of the GLTP that sought to link the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique; Kruger National Park in South Africa; Gonarezhou National Park, Manjinji Pan Sanctuary and Malipati Safari Area in Zimbabwe, as well as two areas between Kruger and Gonarezhou, namely the Sengwe communal land in Zimbabwe and the Makuleke region in South Africa into one huge conservation area of 35 000 km² failed to kick off at a similar pace owing to political issues between Zimbabwe and the Western countries that had promised money, it remains a great eco-tourism initiative that should not be allowed to die.
The GLTP is expected to bring together some of the best and most established wildlife areas in southern Africa.
The park, according to Chiredzi Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer Mr Isaac Matsilele in an interview recently with Sunday News, will be managed as an integrated unit across three international borders and its establishment is the first phase of arguably the biggest transfrontier conservation area measuring almost 100 000 km². He said work was still under way to incorporate Gonarezhou into the GLTP.
“About Gonarezhou national park being incorporated into the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, GLTP, this is indeed a reality. Ever since the signing of the GLTP treaty in 2002, in Xai Xai, Mozambique, by the three Heads of States for Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, there have been a hive of activities, albeit, from mostly non-state actors, who target livelihoods issues within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs). These are areas abutting the protected conservation areas that have a stake in those protected areas, mostly the communal areas, in this case, the Sengwe and Tshipise communal areas in Chiredzi and Beitbridge districts respectively. In fact, the generality of South eastern parts of the districts of Chiredzi, Beitbridge and Chipinge, constitute the GLTFCA.
“The TFCAs are also found in the other countries that form part of the GLTP, such as Mozambique and South Africa. The Gonarezhou was incorporated into the Kruger National Park, and the Limpopo National Park in SA and Mozambique, respectively,” said Mr Matsilele.
He added that in Chiredzi district, stakeholders have constituted a GLTP steering committee to spearhead awareness and promote development of the great Park from the Zimbabwean side, specifically Chiredzi district, to benefit from this international initiative.
The steering committee he says, has membership ranging from the RDC, the private sector like Tongaat Huletts Zimbabwe, conservancies like Malilangwe, Save Valley, and the public sector organisations. The larger transfrontier conservation area will include Banhine and Zinave National Parks, the Massingir and Corumana areas and interlinking regions in Mozambique, as well as various privately and state-owned conservation areas in South Africa and Zimbabwe bordering on the Transfrontier Park.
The final delineation of the area will be determined by way of broadly consultative processes that are currently under way and is truly the jewel among the various southern African TFCAs currently being developed.
The GLTP comprises a vast area of the lowland savannah ecosystem, not only in the Transfrontier Park itself, but also in the conservation area that will be reintegrated for joint management. This ecosystem is bisected by the Lebombo Mountains running along the border between South Africa and Mozambique. Five major river systems cross this eco-region in a generally west-east flow.
Added Mr Matsilele, from the local authority planning perspective, the two Rural District Councils of Chiredzi and Beitbridge formed a combination authority to come out with a local development plan for the Sengwe-Tshipise wilderness corridor, to spearhead investment in the TFCAs.
The LDP has since been gazetted on 22 December 2009. This has paved way for a number of livelihood development interventions in the TFCAs, across the three countries. However, the promulgation of the LDP, was a feat accomplished by the Zimbabwe side only, demonstrating our proactive stance in this regard.
“The Limpopo River is central to the GLTP, as a diverse ecosystem resource being shared by the three countries, hence, most interventions exploit development prospects centred along the river basin, for instance, the Limpopo trans-boundary programme, by the CESVI Italian NGO, and now the Great Limpopo Livehoods Diversification Strategy Proposal.
“There have been a lot of interaction by communities of the GLTP, as opportunities being brought about by interventions within the TFCAs in the three countries. After all, the people living within the Limpopo River are one, being just separated by artificial boundaries as put up by erstwhile colonisers. There is also collaboration between the local authorities across boundaries in such areas as culture, language, tourism and twinning arrangements. Chiredzi district and Vhembe district’s Makhado municipality in SA, are yet to finalise their twinning arrangements,” added Mr Matsilele.
He said various cross border cultural exchange initiatives were taking place as a result of the GLTP initiative such as the Great Limpopo Cultural Fair was an annual event taking place in Chiredzi district, attended by counterparts from Mozambique and SA.
The Zim Parks represents the country at national level when it comes to international cooperation within the GLTP, and several institutional arrangements have been put in place to opetationalise the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park initiatives.
Chiredzi District Administrator Ms Clara Muzend also echoed Mr Matsilele’s sentiments adding that Government through the relevant ministry was committed to the development of the GLTP.
Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri- Kashiri said Zimbabwe was set to benefit from the incorporation in areas of eco-tourism, culture as well as wildlife conservation in general.
“The GLTP is a reality. We are working together with our partners to ensure we develop our side so that we promote and support eco-tourism initiatives. I will be meeting some of the partners to discuss funding mechanisms,” she said.
She added that the GLTP was going to provide a lot of space for the country’s growing herd of elephants.
Environmentalist Mr Barnabas Mawire said the GLTP was a good idea that was going to ease pressure on the Gonarezhou. He said such animals as elephants know no artificial boundaries and the idea was going to give them a lot of room to roam around.
“Such animals as elephants migrate. They do not care of the political boundaries and in terms of tourism the country would have scored a beauty. We are meant to benefit. It’s a great idea that the Government should pursue with the vigour that it deserves” said Mr Mawire who is Environment Africa country director.
