GLTP board seeks funding

Date: 24 May 2004

Source: Herald (Zim)

Author: Anon

THE Joint Management Board of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park has stepped up efforts to mobilise funds for the development of the park from the donor community and is looking at ways of securing possible funding under the New Partnership for Africa's Development.

The funds are needed for de-mining activities in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, infrastructure development and other projects aimed at enhancing activities in one of the continent's largest wildlife sanctuaries.

The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) comprises Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, Kruger National Park in South Africa and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.

The director-general of the National Parks and Wildlife Authority, Dr Morris Mtsambiwa, said the management board would not restrict itself to the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), but to other international financiers as well.

"The board resolved to approach other international financiers, particularly those who are ready to offer assistance without any strings attached.

"The general feeling is that prospective financiers should pour funds for the development of the park into one pool, and not through respective countries as has been the case,'' he said.

Billions of dollars are needed for the de-mining exercise in both Zimbabwe and Mozambique with some conservationists putting the figure at over $20 billion to clear the dangerous weapons that were planted in the area during the 1970s war of liberation.

Additional funds are also needed to construct some of the bridges, which were also destroyed during the war while others were damaged by two cyclones that affected Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa in the past three years.

Economists pointed out last week that it was imperative for the three countries to jointly seek funding for the development of the main park as a single block as opposed to doing so individually.

Mozambique secured US$5 million under the Global Environment Facility to fund some of its projects on its own side of the park while South Africa has benefited from international financiers as well as the private sector.

"The spirit of the park is to create one animal conservancy which has already been realised. What is now needed is to mobilise efforts to ensure that the welfare of animals in the respective countries, which make up the park are protected.

"In other words, the de-mining of landmines in Mozambique is as much an issue to South Africa and Zimbabwe in view of the fact that there is a lot of movement by the animals within the same park,'' said a local economist.

Dr Mtsambiwa said the authority had also proposed to construct a bridge that would link Zimbabwe with South Africa to facilitate free flow of tourists within the sphere of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

The authority has also approached some local and international groups to finance some of its projects.

Dr Mtsambiwa said there was need to improve infrastructure, road network and communication on the Zimbabwe side of the park.

"We have already received $2,2 billion to improve infrastructure development of which $500 million went towards electrification of part of the park.

"We expect local businessmen to take advantage of the developments in the park by coming forward with proposals to develop the tourist industry,'' he said.

The Joint Management Board comprises officials from the Ministries of Environment and Tourism and director-generals from the National Parks and Wildlife Authorities of Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The task of co-ordinating activities under the GLTP is on a two-year rotational basis between the three countries.

Mozambique is currently co-ordinating the affairs of the park and Zimbabwe will assume the role before the end of the year.