Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Board | |
Formation |
|
---|---|
Headquarters | Queen Elizabeth Park Nature Reserve, 1 Peter Brown Drive, Town Bush Valley |
Location | |
Coordinates | 29°34′23.9372″S 30°19′34.0414″E / 29.573315889°S 30.326122611°E |
Parent organisation | KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs |
Expenses (2022/23) | R (45.6 million) |
Staff (2022/23) | 3094 |
Website | http://www.kznwildlife.com/ |
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (officially, the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Board) is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining
History
The first known person to provide protection to wildlife in the region was Zulu King Shaka, who prevented excessive hunting of game animals in the Umfolozi River valley in the early 19th century. However King Shaka used this area for his own hunting purposes and cannot be classed as a 'preservationist'.
Zulu
The
In 1866, the Natal Government drew up the first game laws at a time when Zululand was still independent. Zululand was annexed in 1887 and this allowed the exploitation of game animals by immigrants.[1]
The decimation of the wildlife was noted by both hunters and early
In 1947, the Natal Parks, Game and Fish Preservation Board was established to enforce laws relating to wildlife in Natal and Zululand, which by that time were a single province of South Africa known as Natal.[1] The name of the organisation was later simplified to the Natal Parks Board.
In 1982,
After the end of Apartheid the Natal Parks Board and KwaZulu Department of Nature Conservation became a single organisation, which was eventually called the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service. More recently the name was changed to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
Conservation
The Natal Parks Board was instrumental in saving the
The areas managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife include
Some major parks managed by Ezemvelo
- iSimangaliso Wetland Park
- Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park
- Natal Drakensberg Park, part of the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area
- Tembe Elephant Park, part of the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area
- uMkhuze Game Reserve
- Oribi Gorge
- Ithala Game Reserve
- Royal Natal National Park
The organisation manages over 57 parks in total.
St Lucia Parks
- Amatikulu Nature Reserve
- Isimangaliso Wetland Park
- Mpenjati
Mountain areas
- Didima north of Monk's Cowl in the Cathedral Peakarea, 35000 ha.
- Cobham and Vergeglen near Himeville Village, 52000 ha.
- Garden Castle includes the Bushman's Nek Valley.
- Giant's Castle
- Mkhomazi Wilderness Area, 15000 ha.
- Himeville near Himeville Village, 104 ha.
- injisuthi in the northern section of Giant's Castle area.
Nature reserves
- Blinkwater Nature Reserve north of Pietermaritzburg
- Bluff Nature Reserve near Durban, 45 ha.
- Harold Johnson Nature Reserve near Thugela River mouth, 100 ha.
- Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve in Yellowwood Park, Durban, 253 ha.
- Krantzkloof Nature Reserve in Kloof, between Hillcrest and Pinetown, near Durban, 600 ha.
- Trafalgar, 66 hectares (160 acres)
- North Park Nature Reserve adjacent to the Umhlahazana River, 52 ha.
- Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve near Port Shepstone,
- Skyline Nature Reserve
- Umtamvuna Nature Reserve bordering the Mtamvuna River, 3 247 ha.
- Ntsikeni Nature Reserve, 9 286.61 ha wetland reserve
Forests
- Beachwood Mangroves
- Dlinza Forest
- Entumeni Forest
- Ncandu Forest
- Ongoye Forest
- Nkandla Forest
Controversies
In 2023, Karpowership bought and gifted a game farm to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in exchange for not objecting to mooring a 450 MW ship-mounted power plant at Richards Bay Harbour.[2]
Finances
In 2022/23, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife received R 854.8 million in grants from the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.[3]: 142 In 2022/23, it had a net deficit R 45.6 million.[3]: 106
Auditor's concerns
In the 2022/23 annual report, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife received a qualified opinion due to irregular expenditure and misstating property, plant and equipment values, in addition to not having recorded various assets.[3]: 86 The auditor-general stated that "a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the KZN Nature Conservation Board's ability to continue as a going concern."[3]: 87 Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife had attained a deficit for the prior year and in 2023.[3]: 144
See also
- South African National Parks – Body responsible for managing South Africa's national parks
- List of protected areas of South Africa – Areas protected for conservation in South Africa
References
- ^ a b c d Ellis, B. Game Conservation in Zululand 1824-1947.
- ^ "Karpowership to donate game farm for gas plant approval".
- ^ a b c d e "Ezemvelo Annual Report 2022/23" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-10-05.
Bibliography
- ISBN 1-86812-487-8.