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Conservation efforts will be scaled back in Southern Africa’s national parks and game reserves as budgets tighten.
Both Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) and KwaZulu Natal Ezemvelo in South Africa have experienced budget cuts. MTPA describe its budget for this financial year as being “cut tremendously” while KZN Ezemvelo’s operating cost budget for 2017/2018 has decreased by about R50 million (€3.5 million), down by 28%.
KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo spokesperson, Musa Mntambo, says the decrease will affect its conservation efforts and new methods will need to be employed. He adds that, where previously there were general patrols, targeted patrols will be carried out. “If we had more money we would definitely fill all the vacant positions and pay higher incentives to our filed rangers as well as our informers,” says Mntambo.
MTPA will also be forced to scale down its anti-poaching efforts, and infrastructure maintenance will not be carried out.
While SANParks is not facing any budget cuts, the organisation’s resources are being stretched with requests for funding from external donors occurring often. “Reality is, with the onslaught on our wildlife, we are forced to introduce unconventional tactics, which include technology, in an effort to secure our country’s heritage. This comes with high cost way above our allocated funds,” SANParks told Tourism Update.
SANParks added that government played a key role in the allocation of funds and resources for conservation, including directing resources such as SA Police Services, National Prosecuting Authorities, the Judicial, Customs Service of the SA Revenue Services, and the Intelligence Community, all of which have cost requirements.
South Africa is not the only destination to be affected by budget cuts.
Botswana’s Minister of Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama, told SA Breaking News that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks’ anti-poaching operations were hard hit by government austerity measures, which resulted in a reduction of the ministry’s 2017 budget from P213 million (€19 million) to P165 million (€14 million), down by 23%.
The Rhino Squad, a paramilitary protection and intelligence-gathering unit mandated to protect rhinos, may only conduct limited operations as its patrol vehicles are grounded because it owes the government-owned Central Transport Organisation (CTO) P4 million (€357 400) in unpaid fuel supplies. Khama is quoted in SA Breaking News as saying: “If you have given us money to establish the Rhino Squad, [you should understand that] it will come with operational costs. We are always at war with poachers and we try to do as much as we can, with little [resources].”
Mntambo says that while it’s unlikely that effects of the budget cuts will be felt in the next six months, there will be a need for a fundraising drive to ensure that there are sufficient funds six months from now. Both private and government institutions will be solicited to assist. Each unit will also have to prioritise its Key Performance Areas so that it keeps its activities within allocated budget.
Sоurсе: tourismupdate.co.za