.r rI II ll.

l% rff Open
Africo
lnitiqtive
- & 3",,riDiAN DEAlltG Wn-H TOURISM AND NAiURE NumberS, Moy I995

t 'g5zRDPgoeswild
Next week Nelson Mandela unveils
Satour's new programme to make
nature travela part of the RDP.
Eddie Koch argues that it willtake
more than a presidentialspeech
from the podium to achieve this

N the banks of the Luvhuvu River,

where it twists through the wild and
northem reaches of the I(ruger
National Park, there stands an ancient
baobab tree. It is encircled by the ruins
of a church, a school, a trading store and a number of
small homesteads. Inscribed in its gnarled bark are
tlree words: Makuleke Tribal Authority.
The tree was the cultural heart of the Makuleke
people. Their chief held council with his elders under
it and members of the clan came to settle their dis-
putes there. "It was like our Number l0 Downing
Street," remembers Sam Chauke. 'We named it Deku
after an old woman who died while resting in its
shade."
Deku and its surrounds are emblemailc of the price
rural people paid removals, community
- forced
destmction, economic deprivation when South
Africa created some of its game -reserves. The
Makulekes were removed at gunpoint in 1969 so that
the area between the Luvhu'"rr and Limpopo rivers
could be incorporated into the Kruger Park.
Today Chief Joas Makuleke is claiming back the
title to his peoples' land. But instead of conforming to
the conservationists' dread that villagers will move
their catfle back into the park and deglade its pris-
tine habitat, the Makuleke clan is talking to the
National Parks Board about setting up a tourism
lodge near their old homes on the Luvhu"rr and using
the profits from this business to upgrade the resetfle-
ment'uillages they live in now.
Next week President Nelson Mandela will launch a
new set of policies that has been devised by the South
Afi:ican Tourism Board (Satour) to try to ensure that
rural communities like the Makulekes will benefit
from, rather than be penalised by, the growing num-
ber of adventure travel and -ecotourism" r'entures
into wildemess areas.
The president will tell thousands oidelegates a - --.1
Indaba in Durban, billed by Satour as the bigges
travel trade fair in Africa, that travel through rhe
scenic landscapes and natural ecosystems of the
country can bring economic and social benefits to
local people while ensuring that nah:ral resources are
eflectively protected.
"surveys conducted recentlJ- shorv 60 percent ;-
intemational tourists \isiting South Africa come to
enjoy an ecotourism holiday experience. Scenic
beauty is consistently voted South Africa's most pop-
ular feature, followed by its year-round sunny cli-
mate, rich heritage of wildlife and fascinating cul-
tures," says a new policy document prepared by
Satour for the Indaba.

,ists queued up atthe Richtercveld's popular rapids over Easter PHOTO: GIDEON MENDEL ITo PAGE 2
A MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT TO WEEKLY MAIL & GUARDIAN DEALING WTH TOURISM AND NATURE NumberS, Moy 1995 ^rr lnitiotive

)
o
o
o
Next week Nelson Mandela unveils
Satour's new programme to make
nature travela part of the RDP.
Eddie Koch argues that it will take
more than a presidentialspeech
from the podium to achieve this

N the banks of the Luvhuvu River,

where it twists through the wild and
northemreaches of the I{ruger
National Park, there stands an ancient
baobab tree. It is encircled by the ruins
of a church, a school, a trading store and a number of
small homesteads. Inscribed in its gnarled bark are
three words: Makuleke Tribal Authority.
The tree was the cultural heart of the Makuleke
people. Their chief held council with his elders under
it and members of the clan came to settle their dis-
putes there. "lt was like our Number lO Downing
Street," remembers Sam Chauke. 'We named it Deku
after an old woman who died while resting in its
shade."
Deku and its surrounds are emblematic ol'the prict'
rural people paid forced rernovals, commrurity
- deprivation when Soullr
destruction, economic
Africa created some of its game -reserves. 'l'ht'
Makulekes were removed at gunpoin-t in 1969 so that
the area belween the Luvhuvr-r and Limpopo rivers
could be incorporated into the Kruger Park.
Today Chief Joas Makuleke is claiming back thc
title to his peoples'land. But instead ofconlbrnting to
the conservationists' dread that villagers will rnovc
their cattle back into the park and degade lts pris
tine habitat, the Makuleke clan is talking to tlrc
National Parks Board about setting up a lorrrisrrr
lodge near their old homes on ttre Luvhuvu and using
the profits from this business to upgrade the resettle-
mentvillages they live in now.
Next week President Nelson Mandela will launch a
new set ofpolicies that has been devised by the South
AfricanTourism Board (Satour) to try to ensure that
rural communities like the Makulekes will benefit
Pl:,'1f:'-f1l P-" ry11$9 !t:1-",qloy"e y*
 qa t U, rJ rrr'
villiers, Michelle Girardin, Derina has more than achieved its immedi- upon which of South Africa's lan- graphics or the ubiquity of thet bil- economics at the University of
Holtshausen, Zeph Nyathi, Rams ate targets in terms of $obal arrivals guages you consideryour own) ex/okes boards, they have made Victoria Falls Swaziland and a correspondent for the
Rammutla figures.) images of catastrophe, extreme fatigue begin to look like a company town Economist lntelligence Unit in London

IhewildRDP sffi fiom atfltudes of antipathy and hostility

that were displayed at the Ume the park was
created.
'The option of utilising land for developing
"ln the new social order emerging I From PAGE 1 tourism facilities, as opposed to (more environ-,
mentally degradin$ agricultural or pastoral
"Ecotourism can add considerable and sig- use, is being seriously considered by pending
in this country there is nothing nificant benefits to South Africa's Reconstmc- land claimants in areas involving some national
tion and Development Programme, creating parks," the document says.
that can do so much for so many in employment opportunities, generating a To make these proto$'pes of a new conserva-
healthy economy and eaming millions of rand tion model work, the Satour document recom-
!
in foreign ctrrrency. The country's communities mends that peoples' Iand rights have to be
/ess time . , . and for longer, than stand to reap the rewards ofwell-managed eco- respected and programmes need to be imple-
tourism in the new South Africa." mented thatwill boostthe capacity ofmral peo-
envi ro n m enta I ly ba la nced to u rism The document, to be unveiled by Mandela, ple to nrn their orrrrn tourism projects. 'With all
alongwith a campaigntoFomote SouthAf ica parties concemed working together, formerly
development for the benefit of all." as one of theworld's prime ecotourism destina- impoverished mral areas can be developed into
tions in 1996, notes that local people often bore sustainable income-producing ecotourism
the costs, including forced removals in the colo- attractions."
nial and apartheid eras, without receiving any Although Mandela will put his political
of the material and spiritual benefits that can weight behind these principles when he
Rob Angel, 1994 be derived ftom the travel industry. launches the campaign on Mondaynightatthe
"But this is changing. Progressive private- Indaba next week, there are signs that other
CEO, Engen Limited sector and state conservation agencies have sectors of government are less enthusiastic
introduced several innovative ... development about using tourism and nature travel as a
inilizrtives based on the provision of tangible form of mral dwelopment.
btrrelits to communities livingin and alongside Though tourism received some belated men-
t:trltorrrism areas," says the document. tion in the last draft of the ANC's version of the
"lr r rrrirrry ways they are microcosms of South RDP, it has been totally ignored in the White
All'iur's 1-rt:t'uliar history of racial conflict, a Paperversion of the programme adopted by the
rtrrlrrhuble ability to negotiate solutions to governrnent of national unity. Promises that the
llrlsc rrrrrl a new emphasis on the need to omission wotrld be rectified when more detailed
rrtorrslnu:t and develop the country. Histori- sectoral studies wotrld be drawn up to supple-
t'rrlly. kx'rrl ;rople were alienated from the con- mr:nl tlx'Wlritt' I'ir1x'r have failed to materialise.
rrr\rr rlior r t'stat.e because they weren't receiving Sitlottr Itas st:onxlit ('(ntl) ir) grllling Mandela
; r slr rn' ol'lhe benefits. Now some pilot projects Io t:rrdorsc the principle that nature tourism
rrrr. lirr<lingways to restore the pride of com- shorrld play a role in the nation's reconstmc-
rrrrrrrilics in their natural heritage by sharing liorr. IIrt it will take more than a presidential
llrr sr rlrslirntial benefits of tourism with them." s1x,t'r'lr lionr (hc podium to ensure that the
'l'lrr,
lxrlicy paper notes that ltrese initiatives (n,{iulisiltion's latest ideas are developed and
, r r l i r r I I rc very early sta$es o[ development and ir r rlt'rrrcnl ed in ttre countryside.
11

tl I i lr x r soon to tell whether they are successful A krrrg and hard programme of lobbying will
or lxrlt'rrt cnough to offset the negative image l'x. rrrtrltrl along with material support for
piorrr.r'r'irrg-prr{ects that have already been

ENGEN
I I r, r I r r rr rscrvation has because of its past asso-

r l,rliorr with apartheid. irrrpk'rrrt'rrlctl

I h I il lx)tes that. a recent survey conducted in
I
- Ior the orgarrisation's vision to
bc rolrvt.rlrrl lirrrl rhetoric to reality.
llrl r csirk'ntial areas alound the Pilanesberg [Jr rk'ss t I r is I ri r1x'r rs. in years to come visitors
r
1

l\,rliorr;rl Par-k, from whictr a large nurnber of may lirul ('irlll(,ul'rrzing on denuded banl<s of
p, , rplt' wcre removed in the 1980s, indicated the rivt:t'llt:r( l}rws near an alcient baobab
I I r, r I r r ror-e than 70 percent of people supported callecl I)r'lir r, ir rslt'irrl ol'ir-rdigenous animals and
I I rl r r rr rlinuecl existence ofthe park a marked a prisl ir rt' wilt k'r r rt'ss.
-