Sileza Nature Reserve

SILEZA NATURE RESERVE

Protected Area Management Plan: Public Participation Report 2013

Prepared by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Protected Area Management Planning Unit

TABLE OF CONTENT

1) STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION PROCESS ...... 1

1.1 The context of stakeholder consultation ...... 1 1.2 Approach and objectives of the consultation process ...... 2 1.3 Consultation process ...... 3

2) KEY FINDINGS OF THE STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION PROCESS ...... 5

3) COMMENTS RECEIVED DURING REVIEW OF THE DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN ...... 6

Appendix A List of Stakeholders who have participated in or been invited to participate in the preparation of the Protected Area Management Plan for Sileza Nature Reserve...... 7 Appendix B Scans of the advertisements for the Public Meeting and Public Review of the Draft Management Plan ...... 8 Appendix C Background information document circulated prior to the Public Stakeholder Workshop ...... 23 Appendix D Copies of standard invitations sent to known stakeholders for the Public Stakeholder Workshop ...... 26 Appendix E Minutes of the Public Stakeholder Workshop ...... 27 Appendix F Attendance Register of the Stakeholder Meeting ...... 32 Appendix D Presentation from the Stakeholder Workshop ...... 33

1) STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION PROCESS

Sileza Nature Reserve (SNR) is situated north of the town of Mbazwana and approximately 18 km south west of Manguzi town with the R22 road passing adjacent to the nature reserve. The nature reserve falls within the Umkhanyakude District Municipality under the Local Municipality of Umhlabuyalingana.

The nature reserve lies to the south east of Tembe Elephant Park and also draws all its resources from Tembe Elephant Park. Sileza Nature Reserve covers 2124 hectares and was formally proclaimed in 1950 as a Forest Reserve. It was re-proclaimed as a Nature Reserve in 1992.

SNR falls within the Maputaland – Pondoland - Albany hotspot which is described as the centre of plant endemism. This region is home to a wide variety of endemic and near endemic fauna and flora. This resulted from the geographical location of this region and exceptional influence from the temperate zone. Sileza Nature Reserve contributes the land that is formally protected towards the Maputaland – Pondoland – Albany hotspot.

The nature reserve protects a portion of the Maputaland Wooded Grassland, Maputaland Coastal Belt, Subtropical Freshwater Wetlands and Licuati Sand Forest. Plant species of importance include Ferox Cycad (Encephalartos ferox) and Small Cluster Pear (Uvaria caffra) while important fauna species include Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus), Plain Zebra (Equus quagga antiquorum), Suni (Neotragus moschatus zuluensis) and Southern Reedbuck (Redunca arundinum arundinum).

Various important bird species are present in the nature reserve such as the Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius), Red-winged Pratincole (Glareola pratincola), Pinkthroated Longclaw (Macronyx ameliae) and the Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus). Sileza Nature Reserve is also home to a host of reptiles and amphibians such as the Edible Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus edulis), Serrated Hinged Terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus), Flap-neck Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis dilepis) and the Bells Hinged Tortoise (Kinixys zombensis).

The National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (No.57 of 2003) requires that Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife compile and implement Protected Area Management Plans in all of the protected areas under its jurisdiction. In preparing these plans it is important that participatory processes, involving local communities and other stakeholders are implemented in an effort to ensure that all key issues are considered and incorporated into the management plan.

This public participation report provides the background to the process followed in developing the management plan for Sileza Nature Reserve. It reflects the inputs and involvement of stakeholders in developing the plan and provides a summary of the key issues that have emerged from this process. This document will form a supporting document to the management plan, providing some of the details and context of how the plan was formulated.

1.1 The context of stakeholder consultation

In terms of Section 39(3) of the Protected Areas Act, consultation is required with municipalities, other organs of state, local communities and other affected parties, which have an interest in the area, when compiling a management plan for a protected area. Furthermore, the input and support of key stakeholders is considered vitally important in the management of protected areas and in the implementation of many of the actions set out in their management plans. For this reason a comprehensive public participation process has been undertaken in preparing the management plan for Sileza Nature Reserve.

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1.2 Approach and objectives of the consultation process

The approach to consultation in preparing the management plan for Sileza Nature Reserve has been to target communities in the area around the reserve together with municipalities, relevant government authorities and other key stakeholders. The process has been targeted at key representatives of stakeholder groups in an effort to enable meaningful input in the development of the management plan. The objectives of the public consultation process have been to:

 Ensure that the communities around the reserve are aware of its importance and the conservation imperatives that formed the basis for its proclamation.  Discuss and agree on the values of Sileza Nature Reserve in order to come to a common understanding of why it is important and should be protected.  Canvas aspirations, issues, concerns and conflicts associated with the reserve that must be resolved through the management plan.  Provide additional information that is required by individual stakeholders and to request input and pertinent information that may aid the process and the management of the reserve from stakeholders.

The list of participants who have been consulted and who have attended meetings as part of the public consultation process is attached in Appendix A.

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1.3 Consultation process

The public stakeholder consultation commenced in June 2013 when the stakeholder workshop was advertised in the Ladysmith Herald on Tuesday 4th of June 2013, Illanga, Isoleswe, The Mercury and The Witness on Thursday 6th June 2013 and in the Zululand Observer and Escourt and Midlands News on Friday 7th June 2013. The stakeholder workshop took place at the Tembe Conference Centre in Tembe Elephant Park on 9th July 2013. Prior to the stakeholder workshop a background information document was made available to stakeholders on the Ezemvelo website and was also mailed to stakeholders on request.

Groups that were invited included district and local municipalities, neighbours, neighbouring communities and non-governmental conservation organisations. Based on the outcome of the stakeholder workshop another workshop to explain the draft plan was held with the neighbouring communities. See Appendix F for the attendance register and Appendix E for the minutes of the meeting. A separate meeting was held at the Tembe Conference Centre, on the 13th November 2013. This meeting showcased how the input from the stakeholder workshop has been incorporated into the management plan.

The draft protected area management plan was made available to public review for a period of one month. The draft plan was advertised in the Escourt and Midlands News and Village Talk on the 11th of September 2013 and in the Mercury, Natal Witness, Zululand Observer, Isolezwe and Ilanga on the 12th of September 2013. All stakeholders who attended the stakeholder workshop were informed either through e-mail, telephonically or through verbal messages via the various Traditional Authorities and the Conservation Manager.

Hard copies of the documents were made available at the Umhlabuyalingana Local Municipality, Umkhanyakude District Municipality and at the Traditional Authority offices. Closing dates for comments was on the 4th of October 2013.

An additional stakeholder meeting was held on the 13th of November 2013, at the Tembe Conference Centre, based at the Tembe Elephant Park. The purpose of this meeting was to engage with stakeholders and showcase, the various ways in which their comments have been incorporated into the management plan. This method of reviewing a management plan has been beneficial as it promotes ownership of the management plan within local communities. The additional comments discussed at this meeting have been incorporated into the plan.

This process and the overall process for the development of the protected area management plan are summarised in Table 1.1 below.

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Table 1.1 Summary of the protected area management plan development process

Date Activity

04 June 2013 Adverts for stakeholder workshop in Ladysmith Herald.

06 June 2013 Adverts for stakeholder workshop in:  Illanga  Isoleswe  The Mercury  The Witness

07 June 2013 Adverts for stakeholder workshop in:  The Zululand Observer  Escourt and Midlands News

09 July 2013 Stakeholder Consultation workshop.

14 August 2013 – Internal Review of the Draft Sileza Nature Reserve management plan prior to public review. 27 August 2013

09 September 2013 Draft protected area management plan for public comment

10 September 2013 Adverts for public comment in Ladysmith Herald.

11 September 2013 Adverts for public comment in:  Escourt and Midlands News  Village Talk

12 September 2013 Adverts for public comment in:  The Mercury  The Natal Witness  The Zululand Observer  Isolezwe  Ilanga

12 September 2013 – Public comment invited 04 October 2013

04 October 2013 Consideration of public comment

13 November 2013 Additional Stakeholder workshop

28 November 2013 Submit final document to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife committees for approval

Submission of final protected area management plan and supporting documentation to MEC for approval

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2) KEY FINDINGS OF THE STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION PROCESS

It was noted that the fence around the nature reserve had deteriorated. There have been incidents of poaching which relates to the damaged fences. Areas where poachers have entered were not discovered immediately due to a lack of security throughout the reserve and a low number of field rangers fit for duty. There is a lack of fire breaks and evidence of arson fires. Infrastructures such as staff accommodation are in poor conditions. The area has low rainfall throughout the year; water availability for the future needs to be investigated and the dry sands coupled with inappropriate vehicle types entering the reserve have led to damaged roads. The local communities surrounding the nature reserve has a number of natural, cultural and historical values linked to Sileza Nature Reserve

The table below (Table 2.1) provides a breakdown of issues raised during the stakeholder consultation process and meetings with the park management committee.

Table 2.1 Breakdown of issues that were raised during the stakeholder consultation process

Key performance Issue that must be addressed area

Legal compliance . Legal agreements between Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and South African and law Police Services regarding accommodation are out-dated. enforcement . Free movement of people at the main gate – no security. . Issues of arson fires. . Poaching of wildlife in the nature reserve.

Stakeholder . Stakeholder relationships need to be maintained. engagement . Uneven relationships between Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and surrounding local communities.

Buffer zone . Possibility of land extension in south west section. protection and regional . Alignment of the nature reserve with municipal planning documents management including IDPs and SDFs. Eco-tourism . Alignment of proposed low impact eco-tourism facilities with municipal development development corridor. . Lack of picnic sites in the reserve to enjoy the scenic areas.

Conservation . Spread of emerging weeds such as Parthenium. management . Game management such as monitoring zebra and waterbuck. . Management of rare and endangered species that occur within the Nature reserve. . Accelerated soil erosion and instability related to infrastructure such as roads. . Controlled harvesting of natural resources. Operational . Poor condition of infrastructure. management . Road from main gate to the accommodation is in poor condition. . No signage of the nature reserve. . Inadequate staff and accommodation for staff. . Lack of access to the nature reserve. . Insufficient employment of local people.

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3) COMMENTS RECEIVED DURING REVIEW OF THE DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN

All comments were internal which were incorporated into the plan before being published for public comment.

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Appendix A List of Stakeholders who have participated in or been invited to participate in the preparation of the Protected Area Management Plan for Sileza Nature Reserve.

Contact Number: Organisation Name/ Surname Position/ Title Contact Number: Cell Landline E-mail Address EKZNW Richard Penn Sawers Manager: Ndumo Tembe Cluster 084 510 1590 035 592 0009 [email protected] EKZNW Mandla Tembe CCO UKDM 084 253 2957/ 082 256 8816 035 5920 000 [email protected] EKZNW Catharine Hanekom Regional Ecologist UKDM 082 628 2524 035 592 0032 [email protected] EKZNW Dilika Nthombeni Sectional Ranger: Sileza NR 073 652 7540 - EKZNW Thokozile Cele Tembe Admin Officer 035 592 0001 EKZNW Johannes Ntsele DCO Maputaland 082 558 8909 [email protected]

Umhlabuyalingana Municipality Spu Bhukhosini Municipal Manager 084 602 8657 Umhlabuyalingana [email protected] Municipality Nokuphila IDP Manager 082 447 2229 ov.za Umkhanyakude Municipality Gcinani Ndaba Environmental Planning 0355738604 [email protected] LED Officer Mkhonto LED Officer 083 272 8444

Traditional Healer K.T Ngubane Traditional healer 082 648 3413

Nguni Cattle Project Jabulani Tembe Nguni Cattle Project 071 388 1499 [email protected]

Traditional Authority Msongi Tembe Traditional Authority - Endloweni TC 082 972 7762 0355920168 [email protected] Traditional Authority F L Msane Traditional Authority - Endloweni TC 0731435987 Traditional Authority D S Sithole Traditional Authority - Endloweni TC 0722020426

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Appendix B Scans of the advertisements for the Public Meeting and Public Review of the Draft Management Plan PUBLIC STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP:

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DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN:

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Appendix C Background information document circulated prior to the Public Stakeholder Workshop

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Appendix D Copies of standard invitations sent to known stakeholders for the Public Stakeholder Workshop

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Appendix E Minutes of the Public Stakeholder Workshop

MINUTES OF THE SILEZA STAKEHOLDERS WORKSHOP

HEL IN THE TEMBE CONFERENCE CENTRE, TEMBE NATURE RESERVE ON TUESDAY 9 JULY 2013 AT 10H00

1. WELCOME

The Facilitator welcomed all those present.

Attendance as per Attendance Register.

Apologies Nic Vaughan-Jones.

2. INTRODUCTION

All those present introduced themselves.

3. WHY PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLANS?

In terms of the NEMPA Act No 57 of 2003 Management Plans were a legal requirement.

They:

 were a primary strategic tool for management of the nature reserve

 informed management at all levels

 provided motivations for budgets

 built accountability and management effectiveness

 Assisted in developing and managing SNR – protecting its values and the purpose for which it was created.

4. BACKGROUND OF SILEZA NR

A brief outline of Sileza Nature Reserve was given.

5. THE PROCESS

The whole process of developing a management was explained.

6. AIM OF THIS MEETING

The main aim of the meeting was to source input from the various stakeholders before preparing the draft plan. The main topics were:

 Values and vision of the reserve

 Issues, threats, opportunities and interventions required.

7. VALUES

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The values of a place are:

 those remarkable attributes that exemplify it

 Largely the reason that it has been proclaimed as a protected area.

The following came from the floor:

 there were no Oribi or Hippo in the reserve as they had been poached out

 It was refugia for medicinal plants, harvesting fruits, building material, income generation through basket making etc.

 it was a traditional hunting ground

 a supply of Mopane worms

 the harvesting of honey and bee farming

 it was a sustainable resource use

 a supply of sandy soil for building purposes

 snakes

 grasses

 supplied fresh and clean water

 SNR has its own microclimate which was different to other areas around the reserve

 it was the source of traditional incense

 the protected area had a diversity of insects

 spiders

 the reserve was perceived to be of huge value to the community

 sustainable utilization

 the forest was a transition between areas and served as the link of ecosystems

 as the grasslands are untransformed the area has a wide range of biodiversity

 the community saw the reserve as a reservoir of medicinal plants because they had been protected and were so diverse

 SNR was of cultural importance as it was part of the traditional grazing area

 the protected area should be treated as part of an economical grouping providing diverse uses such as mountain biking, an area for birding groups to visit, a link to the pans, a place walking groups to visit

 it had enormous potential for tourism and specialist groups but would need to be marketed effectively

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EKZNW saw the values as important in planning and management, as they are the aspects of the place that must be protected.

Natural Values

 an untransformed area of unique natural beauty

 provide protection for threatened and endangered species and important vegetation types :

 Maputoland Coastal Belt and Wooded Grassland

 Freshwater Wetlands

 Licuati Sand Forest

 Ferox Cycad, Small Cluster Pear, Southern Reedbuck, Zebra, Secretary Bird, Martial Eagle, Flap-neck Chameleon, Oribi

8. VISION OF SILEZA NR

The vision describes the overall long-term goal for the operation, protection and development of SNR.

The following came from the floor:

 Improve quality of life of local communities through sustainable biodiversity.

 Education of children and the local communities.

The vision describes the overall long-term goal for the operation, protection and development of SNR.

“An ecologically stable and well protected nature reserve aimed at conserving existing habitats and biodiversity as well as supplying a range of ecosystem goods and services”

9. MANAGEMENT ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS AND INTERVENTIONS

The following came from the floor:

 Educational centre

 Involving the traditional authority in establishing collaboration with EKZNW and the local communities

 Establishment of a market so the local communities could display their crafts, traditional medicine and have a financial spin off for the local communities

 Sign on the road

 Attract tourists to realise the economic potential of the area

 Dispersal of species into surrounding areas

 Possible expansion of biodiversity integrity through linkages of the various land uses

 What about the unprotected areas outside the SNR?

 Need an extensive marketing strategy to bring people into the area

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 Lack of employment of local people is a threat

 Un-serviced fence which is broken and allows dogs to go in and destroy animals

 Lack of education especially with local communities – if the people are educated there will be no poaching

 Poaching

 There has to be a planned anti-poaching campaign - DEA and EKZNW need to work with local and district municipalities and traditional councils to plan awareness campaigns – even if it means building this into tourist strategy

 Sale of game meat will also stop poaching

 The need to harvest resources which will help with the upkeep of the fence

 Lack of budget

 Firebreak season – use the communities and get buy in from the communities

 Access road is very bad

 It was suggested that razor wire be placed on top of the fence

 Security needed to be beefed up

 Staffing – capacity and training

 Utilities and facilities need to be upgraded

 Non-sustainable activities need to stop

 Opportunities – the community needed to participate and feel there were benefits

 Uneven relationship between EKZNW workers and communities adjacent to the park

 Communities not happy with their treatment by EKZNW

 Threat – too many cases of false promises and no delivery

 Hold another meeting to go through the draft plan after the review period

 The Traditional Council wants to be involved in the whole process and they expressed their desire to be involved in improving the financial situation at SNR

 Uncontrolled fires – a very big threat

 EKZNW needed to be able to deal with bad environmental changes like the 11 year drought as there were no hippo in the area and the below average rainfall was a major contributor to the current situation

 The illegal land fill site needed to be closed as it was the main source of poisons in the air.

 EKZNW needed to show the real value of the reserve to the community.

 There were no dangerous game in the reserve and there was so much going on at the reserve with so much potential

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 It was vital to get the community into the reserve and to use it as an educational tool.

 Waterbuck doing very well in the reserve and not in other reserves.

The following were identified by EKZNW:

 Lack of security at the main gate and throughout the reserve

 Incidents of poaching and arson fires

 Access to the reserve and roads within need to be maintained

 Fence is in poor condition

 Infrastructure in the reserve are in poor condition

 Incorporate reserve into Local and District Municipality Planning tools – Forestry (draining water table)

 Possible visitor opportunities – bird watching, hiking trails?

 SAPS camp – access control and legal agreements

10. THE WAY FORWARD

 Development of the draft plan

 Plan will be published for public review

 Plan finalised and submitted for approval

The meeting closed at 12h30.

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Appendix F Attendance Register of the Stakeholder M eeting

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Appendix D Presentation from the Stakehold er Workshop

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