Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning

Question by: 
Hon Andricus van der Westhuizen
Answered by: 
Hon Anton Bredell
Question Number: 
18
Question Body: 

What is the background to the withdrawal of the declaration of some farms as part of the Karoo National Park by the national Minister of Environmental Affairs, Forestry and Fisheries and as gazetted on 29 May 2020 in the Government Gazette no 43358 and (b) what is the current status of the zoning and ownership of these farms from an environmental perspective;

whether his Department has been consulted about or informed of the plans of the national Department (a) to change the boundaries of the Karoo National Park or (b) to change the boundaries of any other national park situated in the Western Cape; if so, what are the relevant details?

Answer Body: 

        (1)    In terms of an earlier Notice 123 of 2019, in Government Gazette No 42286 dated 8 March 2019, the reason for the withdrawal of certain farms and portions of land in the Karoo National Park was as follows: South African National Parks (SANParks) acquired land parcels through an agreement with National Parks Trust of South Africa (NPTSA) for inclusion into the Karoo National Park. It was specified in the Agreement that, should the Agreement be terminated for whatever reason, the acquired land parcels must be returned to the sole control of the NPTSA. The identified land parcels were then declared as part of the Karoo National Park in terms of a Government Notice No. 26615 dated 30 July 2004. Subsequent to the declaration, the NPTSA entered into land exchange agreement with MM Scholtz Family Trust on 18 April 2006 to further consolidate the boundary of Karoo National Park on the Beaufort West- Fraserburg Road and to facilitate SANParks' fencing and general management of the national park. The Karoo National Park straddles the boundaries of the Northern Cape and Western Cape Provinces. The properties concerned are within the Northern Cape. CapeNature did not receive any notification regarding this matter.

        (b)  CapeNature is not aware of the current status of the zoning and ownership of these farms from an environmental perspective as national parks, including the Karoo National Park, is not within the provincial mandate of CapeNature.

(2) (a) CapeNature was not consulted nor informed of the plans of the national Department to change the boundaries of the Karoo National Park, probably for the reason noted above.

(b) CapeNature was consulted about or informed of plans to change the boundaries of the following national parks in the Western Cape Province:

  • Table Mountain National Park – CapeNature was requested to comment on additional property to be added to the Table Mountain National Park (January 2017)
  • Table Mountain National Park – CapeNature was requested to participate in stakeholder engagement meetings to discuss the deproclamation of parcels of land of the Park (February 2018)
  • West Coast National Park – CapeNature was informed of additional property added to the Park (September 2018). 
Date: 
Friday, June 5, 2020
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