Kruger National Park Strengthens its Readiness for the Upcoming Fire Season
Kruger National Park is implementing management burns for the winter fire season which usually takes place between June and October. The park received...
Media Release: Food Parcels Donated To Most Destitute Communities Bordering Cape Region National Parks
South African National Parks (SANParks) in the Cape Region led a SANParks initiative to distribute more than 550 food parcels to vulnerable communities bordering Agulhas, Bontebok, Table Mountain, Tankwa Karoo, and West Coast National Park in the Western Cape.
“Because of the national Covid-19 lockdown, tourism, which is the main source of income for these communities, has dried up. This has affected the well-being of the families reliant on our national parks for an income. That is why we decided to try and make their lives a little easier in these trying times,” said South African National Parks (SANParks) CEO Fundisile Mketeni.
Most national parks, if not all, are situated in rural areas affected by poverty, unemployment and a range of other socio-economic problems. These communities rely on the national parks for their survival, either through jobs or business opportunities.
In the coming weeks, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) in conjunction with SANParks will lead similar initiatives of the distribution of food parcels and water tanks to vulnerable communities bordering national Parks countrywide. Funding for the initiative has been sourced from SANParks, the SANParks Honorary Rangers and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
A total of R13 million will be used to purchase food parcels, hygiene products, education materials and water tanks. A total of 7 500 families will be supported nationally.
The distribution of food parcels to communities in the Western Cape, which included a bar of soap, cleaning detergents, meat, masks and groceries, could not have been done without the help of various stakeholders at a local level around the national parks.
Issued jointly by:
The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries and South African National Parks
Media Enquiries
Albi Modise
Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries
Head of Communications
083 490 2871
Reynold Thakhuli
SANParks Acting Head of Communications
073 373 4999
Email: [email protected]