THE long-awaited declaration of a new community game reserve in the heart of Zululand has happened.
For Nkosi Daniel Hlabisa of the Empembeni Traditional Authority, a 14-year-long dream has been realised following the original apportionment of this land for conservation purposes back in 2000.
As Nkosi for the 22 000-strong Empembeni Traditional Authority, situated on the northern boundary of Hluhluwe Game Reserve near the town of Hlabisa, he, along with Durban developer and joint owner Henry Frencken, has just signed a 99-year lease with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (‘Ezemvelo’).
This ensures that 450ha of their land is not only declared a game reserve, but in the process will link up with KZN’s premier game reserve, the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP). It is anticipated that a further 350ha section of community land to the south of this reserve will join the Empembeni Game Reserve once it is up and running.
Ezemvelo’s CEO Dr Bandile Mkhize says the proclamation reaffirms his stance that the state cannot conserve KZN’s natural heritage without the support and involvement of KZN’s rural communities.
‘It’s only when we remove those barriers to include communities as land and business partners that we will be able to truly say we are here to conserve the natural areas of this province for our future generations.’
Dr Mkhize said Empembeni was an ‘uplifting’ example of the promise that lay with rural communities engaging in conservation and tourism.
‘It goes to the heart of so much we aspire to at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, that is for rural communities to experience a meaningful income stream, coupled with employment opportunities through eco-tourism partnerships that have as its foundation the protection of bio-diversity.’
Nkosi Hlabisa’s original ambition was thwarted owing to a lack of finance to build an eco-tourism lodge to ensure its financial sustainability.
However, the loan finance has now been secured through Frencken and the company Rhino Ridge Lodge (Pty) Ltd.
The Empembeni Community Conservation Area is presently a hunting concession area and is stocked with most antelope species and buffalo.
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