THE WEEKLY MAIL & GUARDIAN
November 1994
Unspoilt Places
Eddie Koc'lt
Where God
put paradise
,^f OD firsl made Mozambique's
, (f,fi::ffi y;:,n,TJ*x BHXf":';
Iisherman from Greyown in Natal. who
hasjust parked his caravan, two four-by-
four bakkies, a ski boat and enouglr water,
fuel, food and beer to last six weeks at Elaas
Buks' caravan park in Ponta Do Or:ro.
He sits outside his caravan, can in hand,
and surveys the white sand and green
.dunes that sweep northwards from just
inside Mozambique's border with lovaZulu-
Maputo some 80lun awa1r.
' The tocaravan
,Natal
park at Ponta Do Ouro, a bat-
fle-scarred town on tbe southemmosl noint
of Mozambiqtc'c #riiiie. tras Uecoine a
paradise for adventure travellers like
Hannes. About two years ago, Buks Engel-
brecht from Piet Retief
Baas Buks - krrown
and his wife,
locany as
Ronelle, reno-
- caravan park in the area.
r.ated the only
i Within months, Souttr African tourists
iwith a yeaming to Lake their four-by-fours
. offthe tar and on to some thick sand began
to stream in. The skeam grew to a flood
when the Mozambican auttrorities opened
. a border post just north of Kosi Bay making
:it just a lokm drive from the fiontier to
;Baas Buks' place
iCenko Ttrristica Da - fonnally known as the
Ponta Do Oura.
' There are coral reefs offthe coast. Fish-
lrng is said to be tlle best in this part of the
rkrdian Ocean. kathertack and loggerhead
furtles nest on the beaches, which share
'the ecologyof Maputaland. Andjust 30lun
rup the road is the Maputa Elephant Park
iwhere some of Mozambique's last species
suwive. Paradise indeed.
But all of this is a mixd blessing for the
people of Ponta. The tqurn was hit hard dur-
ing the count{r's eivil war, when it was
occupied and then sacked by rebel Renamo
forces. A semblance of stability has come to
,the area since Baas Buks started up.
Two kading stores have opened, a cou-
ple of dozen people get employment and
Mozambicans are starting; to renovate their
little cottages on the dunes above the park.
Almost any economic activity makes a
major impact in this depressed region of
one ofthe world s poorest countries.
'A few years ago there $/as no Ufe here.
Nobody came here. There were no shops
only soldiers. Now we can get work and
people come to buy from us,' says Siggrora
Crise who works in one of the stores.
flut resentrnent at the behaviour of some
Lltourists is setting in.
Officials from
Mozambique's Deparhnent of ForestrSr and
Conservation dont like the way dunes are
chumed up by four-by-fours but lack the
personnel to enforce laws which prohibit
this. Mostvisitors stock up with everything
they need in South Africa and spend the
absolute minimum in Mozambique. "And
OPE
Bleedingtirnpop,r
The total onslaught mentality
of the Nats and their'shooting
boxes' are destroying the
Limpopo region, reports
Fiona Maeleod
|flte exclusive noirday resons ot'
I National Party cabinet members in
I the far-northem Transvaal have
I been hrrned into barren dustbowls
in the past four decades. Ecologsts say I{P
policy has effectivelybled the Umpopo River
dry and has wreaked untold damage on tlre
surrounding em.ironment.
The damage can be traced directly to the
ascendanry of the Nats in the 194Os. His-
torical reports describe the vigorous cam-
pggn mounled by Lhei{F ag:insi- a l:l;
declafutg"the area a wildlife sanchrary. At
the time, the area was cailed Dongola and
comprised some 24O 70O moqgen stretching
along the border at the junction of the
Shashe and limpopo rivers.
Following scienffic reports thatthe area
was unfit for human settlement or agricul-
turc, ttre governmerrt of General Jan Smuts
passed the Dongola Wildlife Sanctuary Act
tn 1947, presewing the area'for the recre-
ation of the nation". The Nats gained signif-
icant political capital out of backing the
farrning commr:nityin opposition to theAct,
and shortly after the NP rose to power in
1948 it repealed the AcL
o
Totally igeoring the scientific reports, the
NPproceededto allocatetl.e land to farmers
L ZIMBABWE
who supported its policies. This was
BOTSWANA
regarded as particularly important during
the'total onslaught" era ofthe 198Os, Tutibushlartss
because of the area's vulnerability to insur-
gents from Botswana and Zmbabwe.
'It did not matter to the securocrats that I
N
many of ttre farmers v/ere grouring irriga- VENETIA
PONTDBIFT
tion-intensive crops," says David Gross-
man, an ecologist cornmissioned by the
Transaal Provincial Adrrinistrations Divi-
sion ofNafure Consenation to evaluate the ar-'6o""
area in the earty I99Os.
The decades of draining and damming
*OtOon
have reduced this stretch of the limpopo to
a dry riverbed filled only by seasonal rain- ."$-
falls. The farrners have not onlycontibuted gation of the holiday resorts" for years. He fromZimbabu
to an alarming drop in the water table, but relates howit was cornmon practice forthe Pattersonpx
they have destroyed much of the riverine farmers to allow NP cabinet ministers and report onSept
bush alongthe banks." other dignitaries to use their farms for hunt- hungry Zimbr
Adding to the desertification oftlre area i:s ing and holding bsturade ftlush meetings). timpopo towc
the De Beers Venetia diamond mine, situ- "The farms became the'shootingboxes' of farms in the
ated about lolan south of the river. Ifs one the likes of Pik Botha, Barend du Plessis, report cited inr
of the country's richest diamond mines and Magnus Malan, Danie Hough. This must ing for R5O a
has established an impressive garne reserve stop, and we must ensure that the shenani- paid between
on 35 OOOha of farmland it has acquired gans ofthe past are not repeated by the rel- hourdays sixr
over the years. But one of tlre farms lies at evant authorities of the future." "Atleasttwo
the confluence of the Shashe and timpopo Where does the game come from, given here straddle
rivers, from where a pipe leading to Venetia that these "shooting boxes" are most$ agri- owned byfom
pumpswater for the mining operation. cultural farms? In his recenfly published countryin the
Rupert l-orimer, former Democratic Party book, r nst ojttre.Fte, Gareth Patterson pro- is one owned
MP and chaimran of a newly appointed ad vides the answer: he describes how the 1991 baited rr
hoc committee to advise Environment Min- farmers lure wildlife across ttre border from carcass and sl
ister Dawie de Villiers, says he has been the Ttrli bustrlands in Botswana by creating of mentality, tl
horrified by the increasing degradation of waterholes. baitino nredafors with car- nfq nhannp
 occupreo and tlren sacked byrebel Renamo
forces. A semblance of stability has come to
the area since Baas Btrks started up.
TWo trading stores have opened, a cou-
ple of dozen people get employment and
Mozambicans are starting;to renovate their
little cottages on tJle dunes above the park.
Almost any economic activity makes a
major impact in this depressed region of
one of the world s poorest cor:ntries.
'A few years ago there was no life here.
Nobody came here. There were no shops
only soldiers. Now we can get work and
people come to buy from us," says Signora
Crise who works in one of the stores.
B['fi:"*T'*a*i",T.Tn""r"";'rm
Mozambique's Deparhnent of Foresky and
Conservatjon don't like the way dunes are
churned up by four-by-fours but Lack tlle
- personnel to enforce laws which prohibit
this. Most visitors stock up with everything
they need in South Africa and spend the
absolute minimum in Mozambique. "And
the local people are sensitive about the
huge amounts of ts* thatarebeinghar:led
out ofthe sea," says Baas Buks.
He encourages his clie4ts to keep their
vehicles above the high-water mark and
tries to impose a 1Okg limit orithe amount
offish that each person catches.
It is unlikely that Baas Buks will be able
to hold on to his little piece of paradise for
long. The Mozambican conservation
authorities plan to incorporate the area
into a cross-border nafure resewe that will
link up to the Kosi Bay forest reserve and
Tembe Elephant Park in kwaZulu-Natal.
The caravan park has been earmarked for
an upmarket tourism lodge.
But Baas Buks is taking bookings at
least until the end of the year. Camp sites
cost RrB a person. Rondavels with basic
toilet and kitchen facilities are available at
R30 a person. Two luxury cottages that
sleep sixcostR36o a day. Resenrations can
be made by phoning (03841) gt479.
,.
Visas for Mozambique are obligatory. The
.Centro Turistica is only accessible in four-
by-fours. Drft'e in convoy as vehicles have
been hijacked. But malaria is ttre greater
bazard and precautions must be taken
and don't ride over the turtle eggs! - in wildlife atrocities has not been raised. an inlluential member of the WWF, has,
-ftans\raal
sionofNatr.rre Consewation to evaluate the
area in the early l99os.
*The
decades of draining and damming
have reduced this stretch of the Iimpopo to
a dry riverbed filled only by seasonal rain-
falls. The farmers have not on\r contributed gation of the toliday resorLs" for years. He fromZimbabv
to an alarming drop in the water table, but relates howitwas common practice for the Patterson px
they have destroyed much of the riverine farrners to allow NP cabinet ministers and report on Sept
bush along the banks." other dignitaries to use ttreir farms for hr:nt- hungryZimbr
Adding to the desertjfication of the area ls ing and holding bsturade ftlushmectings). Limpopotow<
the De Beers Venetia diamond mine, situ- *The
farms became the 'shmtingboxes' of farms in the
ated about lokrn south of the river. Ils one the likes of Pik Botha, Barend du Plessis, report cited in
of the munbry's richest diamond mines and Magnus Malan, Danie Hougf,r. This must ing for RSO a
has established an impressive game reserve stop, and we must ensure that the shenani- paid between
on 35 OOOha of farmland it has acquired gans ofthe past are not repeated by the rel- hourdays six
over the years. But one of the farms lies at evarrt authorities of the future." 'Atleasttwo
the confluence of the Shashe and I-impopo Where does the game come from, given here straddle
rivers, from utrere a pipe leading to Venetia that these "shmting boxes" are mostly agri- ovrned by fom
pumps water for the mining operation. cultural farms? In his recenfly published countryinthe
Rupert Iorimer, former Democratic Party Wnk" l,ost oJ theFlee, Gareth Patterson pro- is one owned
MP and chairman of a newly appointed ad vides ttre answer: he describes how the 1991 baited u
hoc commitbee to advise Environment Min- farmers lurewildlife across the borderfrom carcass and sl
ister Dawie de Villiers, says he has been the Ttrli bustrlands in Botswana by creating of mentality, fl
horrified by the increasing degradation of waterholes, baiting predators with car- ofa chance."
the Dongola area over the years. casses and simulating feeding sounds OAnumberr
Iorimer has been pushing for an investi- through powerfirl tumthe areai
Behind ttre rhino arrdivory smugglin;
IFrom PAGE 2s discussed or explored by the WWF with the accordingto E
former South African govemment. own Rembra
In addition, after 1948 the National Ellis goes frrrther in suggesting that the Charles de Hr
Party govemment took pains to relocate WWF has been silent not only for fear of positionswith
wildlife conservation directly into an alienatjng powerfi.rl Broederbond financial The conclu
Afrikaner ethic, excluding Engtish-speak- backers, but also because the machina- pocket of the a
ers as well as blacks, to demonstrate that tions of Broederbonders gained the sup- The notion o
one of apartheid's achievements was a port of the WWF for the South African war with middle-c
sound nature conservation policy dating effort in the subcontinent. According to whobelievena
back to Paul Kruger. And it is in this con- this view, South Africanvictory, even at the icaJlyneuhal a
nection that Ellis interprets the lack of price of poaching and smuggling, would Ellis overstates
interest from the WWF to South African keep 'anarchy" and 'communism" at bay and his argum
official participation in the wildlife trade. and ttrus ensure t-Ile continuation ofWWF- But then Br
Ellis sees the Broederbond behind it ali, supported projects. notoriously dfl
alegng that it has been the instnrmental Of the 1 001 leadingbusinessmen of the issue ofwhati:
factor in ensuring that the SADF has never world who finance ttre central operations of
in world wildl
been brought publicly to book. theWWF, about 6O are SouttrAfricans. uade in endan
The nub of Ellis' argument is that Moreover, Prince Bemard of the Nether- elucidated.
Broederbond members exert strong finari- lands, former head of the WWF, was
cial and managerial influence over the known to be conservative. Anton Rupert, a DrJane Carrutl
WWF and, as a result, SADF invoivement prominent South Afrcan businessman and
conservation hir
South Africa