This is to protest against closing a National Park in
South Africa that has rare animals (desert rhinos for example). It would
be the first time in SA that a National Park is "de-proclaimed", and the
reason is to allow for diamond mining.
Please, sign and pass the following petition:
_____________________________________________________
DEPROCLAMATION (CLOSURE) OF VAALBOS NATIONAL PARK:
Kimberley Area, South Africa:
Please sign at the bottom and do include your town,
country and e-mail address. If you receive this list and it has 100
names on it, please e-mail a copy of it to:
[email protected]
Even if you decide not to sign, please be considerate
and do not kill this important petition. (Choose either the COPY or
FORWARD functions depending which is best at keeping the email legible.)
Thank you and kind regards.
Dirk Potgieter (Kimberley, South Africa.)
VAALBOS NATIONAL PARK (VNP) was proclamated by the South
African Parliament in 1986 - the primary function of this 23 000 ha
National Park was to protect a rare combination of 3 x ecotypes and to
set up a safe and secure breeding facility for the highly endangered
(desert) black rhino and several other rare species. Larger animal
species found in the park on the schedule 1 list of endangered wild
animals include the (desert) black rhino, white rhino, African scaly
anteater and several schedule 2 endangered wild animals!
It is worth noting that Vaalbos National Park is
bordered on the east & west boundaries by approx. 50 km of Vaal River
frontage -- this being the only section of the Vaal River protected by
National Park status and containing rare barb, rock catfish and the
large-mouth yellowfish, not to mention birds, reptiles and insects.
The infrastructure of this uniquely diverse Park
(situated 60 km north from Kimberley) was established primarily with a
local work force ("by the community for the benefit of the community")
recruited from among the impoverished local community along the eastern
boundary (Barkly West, Longlands, Delportshoop and Gong-Gong). It is
also worth noting that more than R4 million of local tax-payer money was
invested in setting up roads and tourist facilities within this Vaalbos
National Park. The promise was made from the very beginning and again
with the grand opening in November 1996 that Vaalbos National Park would
be a major economic boost and tourism asset to this neglected and
progressively impoverished / unemployed area. As a young National Park,
VNP was making its mark and visitor figures steadily increased with the
charming 3 chalets very often fully book out.
But then on 24 July 1998 it was announced by Mr. Mavuso
Masimang, Chief Executive of the South African National Parks (SANP)
that the SANP in conjunction with the Northern Cape Provincial
Government (NCPG) had decided upon deproclamation of the Park (the first
Park ever in South Africa to be deproclamated) and that it should thus
lose its National Park conservation status and legal protection.
This immediately influenced visitor figures negatively
and amazed foreign tourists. According to a press release dated
25/07/98, Mr. Thabo Makweya, the NCPG MEC for agriculture, Environmental
Affairs and Land Reform, stated that the interests of beginner miners
(small diamond miners) would receive preference in the area's new status
of utilization. Deproclamate a National Park for small scale mining of
unconfirmed diamond deposits?
According to the SANP the initial aims for establishing
a larger Vaalbos National Park were not realized, partly due to the
manner in which it was done, which included threats of expropriation and
non-consolation; this was to be expected to lead to failure. Other
excuses such as not having aesthetic value, nor meeting the IUCN merit
system requirements, as well as not being able to carry and sustain the
major predators, are misleading -- many Parks, even in South Africa, do
not meet these conditions and still exist.
As for SANP and NCPG themselves, there has been very
limited communication and no consultation with the neglected and
impoverished/unemployed surrounding area communities, as well as a
definite lack of transparency and consideration in reaching this
decision. Destroying the well-established Vaalbos National Park, with
its much needed tourism potential for local communities, and then
attempting to establish a new National Park elsewhere in the province,
is but a futile dream. The result would be progressive impoverishment of
already unemployed communities, and any attempt to establish a new
National Park elsewhere in the province would involve great (duplicated)
financial cost. The loss of Vaalbos National Park is our real issue here
and this being the first National Park to be deproclamated in South
Africa, this conservation failure would lay the foundation for further
onslaught on other National Parks, in a modern world where conservation
is fighting a losing battle.
To quote a foreign tourist once visiting Vaalbos
National Park: "Some of the finest classic African scenery I have yet
experienced!" We hope to have a web page up within the near future, but
presently request your kind supporting vote in our quest to retain
Vaalbos National Park for conservation and as a viable development to
the benefit of the surrounding communities.
1....................................................
2....................................................
Go on to Pet Theft
Victims - Roland Windsor Vincent
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