WHITE RIVER – The community made its voice heard in determining the new Kruger National Park’s Management Plan (KNPMP) on Saturday.

A range of subjects were addressed by the managing executive of the Kruger National Park, Glenn Phillips, during the White River meeting to discuss input of stakeholders to the concept KNPMP.

More than 70 stakeholders attended the meeting and put questions to Phillips and his management team.
He pointed out that more than 15 such meetings have been held countrywide.

In the rural areas around the KNP, attendance of some meetings exceeded 400 people, but in Pretoria the attendance was about 20.

Questions concerned bursaries for communities with school-leaving children, anti-poaching, opportunities for employment within the KNP public partnerships, hunting in reserves next to Kruger, decentralisation within SANParks and the percentage of the SANParks budget that is accorded to the Kruger.

After an information session, the meeting broke up into discussion groups and feedback was given on a few questions, with specific proposals made by stakeholders that will be considered when strategies for managing the KNP for the next ten years are streamlined.

Phillips pointed out that he will soon be holding discussions with the premiers of Mpumalanga and Limpopo to discuss expectations of communities that government needs to meet.

“We can’t be the government’s service delivery arm,” said Phillips.

Answering a question on why there were not more convictions and stricter sentencings in poaching cases, head ranger of the KNP, Nicholus Funda said that the rangers do not prepare dockets for prosecution in court.
After discussions on specific poaching cases, Funda asked anyone with information on poachers to give him a statement.

Dr Marisa Coetzee, a strategist of the KNPMP, said that they will engage with parties such as municipalities to get their input on issues like land use.

Phillips emphasised that he will put proposals forward to solve the issues of speeding and radio use by safari vehicles.

He explained that staff is permitted to drive at a speed of 65 kilometres per hour through the park. SANParks vehicles are equipped with GPS to monitor their speed. After three fines and a warning, a staff member can be fired.

After the group and individual discussions, the team compiled a document of working ideas. It will be submitted with those made in other centres, for the concept KNPMP. The concept will be reviewed and written by KNP’s management, considered by the SANParks board and reviewed again by management. The team’s aim is to deliver a final plan to the minister of environmental affairs by early 2018.

Richard Prinsloo of Africa Wild (left) and Peter Salswedel