Latest news with #iSimangaliso
The Citizen
06-05-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
2025 incema harvest cancelled
Hundreds of incema harvesters will have to go without this year as the 2025 season has been cancelled owing to recent heavy rainfall. This annual operation benefits mostly rural communities that depend on the plant to make a living by producing traditional handicraft products like baskets, sleeping mats and traditional beer strainers. ALSO READ: iSimangaliso says marchers were misinformed Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, in collaboration with the iSimangaliso Wetland Park authority, said this difficult decision was made following the recent heavy rains that severely affected the St Lucia area and its surroundings. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife communications manager Musa Mntambo said, 'We regret to inform the public that the previously announced incema harvesting operations, scheduled to take place from 5 to 20 May, have been cancelled.' He mentioned that the prolonged downpours resulted in significant waterlogging, rendering large portions of the harvesting areas inaccessible. 'Despite the possibility of the rains subsiding, most of the incema plants remain submerged, making harvesting unsafe and unfeasible at this time. 'As a result, incema harvesting operations have been officially postponed to the 2026 harvesting season. Dates for the 2026 season will be communicated in due course,' said Mntambo. ALSO READ: Transformer upgrade needed to address iSimangaliso power woes Expressing her regret regarding the news, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife executive manager for biodiversity conservation, Vuyi Radebe, said the safety of harvesters was paramount. 'We acknowledge the importance of incema harvesting for cultural, economic and social purposes, and we share in the disappointment of the affected communities. However, the safety of harvesters and the sustainability of natural resources remain our top priorities. 'We thank all stakeholders, including the St Lucia and Western Shores incema harvesting committees, for their ongoing support, co-operation and commitment,' said Radebe. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
iSimangaliso says marchers were misinformed
The Isimangaliso Wetland Park authority has said last Monday's marchers were misinformed regarding the inundation of farming fields due to back-flooding. This after the EFF led a march to the park authority's offices on 28 April, demanding the Lake St Lucia Estuary mouth be opened, and making a claim of the land in the Futululu protected area. iSimangaliso spokesperson Bheki Manzini said marchers were made to believe the park 'is blocking water from flowing out into the sea by closing the estuary mouth, resulting in their farms being flooded with water'. 'During the march, it became clear that the majority of marchers were misinformed by the organisers when they learnt that in fact the estuary mouth breached on 10 January and it remains open,' said Manzini. ALSO READ: Farmers threaten to march on iSimangaliso 'Protesters marched to the iSimangaliso offices but, contrary to the usual common standard practice, they had no memorandum of demands to be handed to iSimangaliso. 'The organisers just delivered a speech, and therefore there is no signed memorandum of demands, agreed upon, and to be responded to. 'Despite the fact that the march was held on a public holiday when iSimangaliso offices were officially closed, iSimangaliso management made itself available to receive the memorandum of demands from the marchers, to no avail. 'This comes as no surprise as the reasons used by the organisers to mobilise people to join the march were frivolous, the real reasons known only by the politicians that co-ordinated the march,' said Manzini. Futululu land claim Regarding a demand to claim land at Futululu, Manzini pointed out that the forest is 'State land managed by iSimangaliso Wetland Park authority'. 'Cabinet Memorandum No 5 of 2002 on government's position on settlement of restitution claims on protected areas, World Heritage sites and State forests under national government is explicit. 'iSimangaliso therefore implores all law-abiding citizens to respect the legislation of this country or approach the designated legal institutions that act as an arbiter on these matters.' Mentioning land invasions of Futulu forest in March and August 2022, after which arrests were made by SAPS, numerous attempts to engage with the community had not yielded positive results. ALSO READ: Transformer upgrade needed to address iSimangaliso power woes The March 2022 invasion led iSimangaliso to seek a court intervention from the Pietermaritzburg High Court. 'The 11 April 2022 ruling made by the Pietermaritzburg High Court remains in effect today,' said Manzini. Those arrested for the invasions were later released by the Mtubatuba District Court on a warning. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
