We envisage a number of potential pitfalls and sensitive issues given the nature and complexity of the project, the variety of stakeholders involved, particularly set against a backdrop of a developing economy faced with significant levels of unemployment and limited livelihood securities in many communities. As such the consortium have noted the following main vulnerabilities and threats to the natural resources or values of the area, which will need to be taken into cognizance throughout the project. These issues include:
- Legal status of land and land ownership;
- Boundary demarcation and effectiveness of protection;
- Entry and access control and rights of way (including through routes i.e. Bulembu Rd.);
- Land claims and other conflicts of interest for resource use;
- Legality of certain activities, including informal mining and livestock ownership;
- Plantation forestry and its impact on hydrology and biodiversity;
- Alien invader plants;
- Unsustainable natural resource use, e.g. plant harvesting, commercial theft, muthi/traditional medicine use;
- Gully erosion and deposition from roads and mining waste, including pollution;
- Mining impacts, both surface and underground, including on hydrology;
- Pressure from agriculture and the need for food production.
However it should be highlighted that the land restitution process in the Songimvelo and Badplaas areas noted above, should not only be seen as a threat. These current scenarios also offer real potential for broadening ownership and instilling a sense of responsibility for the appropriate protection and management of the land in order to realize its full potential within the WHS context.
