Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve’s infrastructure is improved

Implemented in partnership with Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET), the infrastructure development and improvements forms part of the R208 million worth of the People and Parks Project undertaken by the national Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries in the province.

“Using labour-intensive methods, as per the requirements of Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), we have built a staff village, camping site, shared facilities, swimming pool and upgraded water infrastructure,” said Sotyo.

She said that the initiative ensures local communities are involved in the management of protected and surrounding areas and promotes biodiversity values in the proclaimed protected and surrounding areas.

“Through the People and Parks programme, the department strives to ensure that communities that were forcefully removed from their land in an effort to create protected areas by the apartheid regime, enjoy the socio-economic benefits of those protected areas,” she said.

She specifically urged community members, the Communal Property Associations (CPAs) and traditional leadership to play their part in ensuring that while using these facilities, vandalism is avoided at all cost.

“It will be encouraging when I come back to see infrastructure that is well taken care of by the beneficiaries,” she said. During the upgrade at least 290 work opportunities benefitting women, the youth and people with disabilities, were created. She said that the nature reserve has been identified as an anchor for the Lekgalameetse Biodiversity Economy Node (BEN) given its potential to attract domestic and international tourists.

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“BEN’s are areas that possess exceptional biodiversity and natural assets, such as protected areas and game reserves, undeveloped and marginal communal areas with some of the most outstanding game experiences and activities.

“These land parcels have potential for well-developed wildlife, ecotourism and bioprospecting products. BENs are platforms that provide networks to enable market access, skills transfer, creating supply chain linkages thereby achieving economies of scale especially for local Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) operating within it,” said Sotyu.

She explained that a few years ago, the department commissioned a study to determine the optimal economic benefit that communities can derive from the sustainable utilisation of the natural resources within the Lekgalameetse BEN.

The study revealed the Lekgalameetse BEN has great potential to attract domestic and international tourists specifically hikers, birders, mountain bikers and 4×4 adventurers given its richness in biodiversity.

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“I want to emphasise the significance of partnerships to successfully unleash the great potential of this BEN. The department commits to provide the much-needed technical support in the delivery of projects in and around the Lekgalameetse area.

“We also commit that this area will continue to benefit from other initiatives such as the Million Tree Project. This is an innovative public greening initiative that contributes nationally towards the improvement of the quality of life and the development of sustainable settlements,” she said.

The programme provides lowincome communities with fruit trees and ornamental trees to plant in their homes. The aim is to plant a million trees annually