Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park

2.1 Background

The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park began with a meeting between President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique and the president of the World Wide Fund for Nature ( South Africa ) in 1990. In 1991 the Mozambican government used funds made available by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for feasibility studies towards the implementation of a TFCA pilot project. The 1992 Peace Accord in Mozambique and the South African democratic election of 1994 paved the way for the political processes to proceed towards making this idea a reality. Feasibility studies initiated by the World Bank culminated in a pilot project that was launched with GEF funding in 1996.

This process led to the signing of a trilateral agreement in Skukuza , South Africa on 10 November 2000 by Minister Helder Muteia, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Mozambique ; Minister Valli Moosa, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in South Africa , and Minister Francis Nhema, Minister of Environment and Tourism in Zimbabwe . The Skukuza Agreement signalled the three nation's intent to establish and develop a Transfrontier Park and surrounding conservation area, at that time called Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park .

Since the signing of the trilateral agreement, working groups operating under a technical committee were established. The technical committee, in turn, would work under the Ministerial Committee.

Finally, on 9 December 2002 , Heads of State of Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe signed an international treaty at Xai-Xai , Mozambique to establish the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP). The signing of the GLTP treaty effectively transformed the technical committee into a joint management board and the working groups into management committees. The established permanent management committees deal with conservation, safety and security, finance, human resources, legislation and tourism. Facilitating the process is an international coordinator, who was replaced in November 2003 when Mozambique took over from South Africa as coordinating country to develop and implement the GLTP project. In terms of the Skukuza agreement, the coordinator ship rotates every two years. Zimbabwe is now preparing to take over from Mozambique .

2.2 Major features

The GLTP comprises a vast area of the lowland savannah ecosystem, not only in the Transfrontier Park itself, but also in the conservation area that will be reintegrated for joint management. This ecosystem is bisected by the Lebombo Mountains running along the border between South Africa and Mozambique . Five major river systems cross this ecoregion in a generally west-east flow. The dry savannah is maintained due to a relatively low average rainfall of about 550 mm per year.

The four main landscapes include lowland plains savannah in the majority of the area, a somewhat hilly granite plateau in the western portions, the Lebombo Mountains that rise to an average of only 500 m above sea level, and the floodplain riverbank areas along the Save, Changane, Limpopo , Olifants, Shingwedzi and Komati rivers.There are five major types of vegetation, namely Mopane woodlands and shrubveld in the northern portions, mixed bushveld in the southern half, sandveld in the southeastern areas of Mozambique, riverine woodlands mostly in Kruger and Gonarezhou, and seasonally flooded and dry grasslands in and around Banhine National Park.

There are five major types of vegetation, namely Mopane woodlands and shrubveld in the northern portions, mixed bushveld in the southern half, sandveld in the southeastern areas of Mozambique, riverine woodlands mostly in Kruger and Gonarezhou, and seasonally flooded and dry grasslands in and around Banhine National Park.

The vast numbers of wildlife and plant species found here are the building blocks of successful ecotourism. These include at least 147 mammals, 116 reptiles, 49 species of fish, 34 different species of frogs, and an incredible 500 or more species of birds. In addition, at least 2 000 species of plants have been identified.

2.3 Cultural importance

Stone-age artefacts and more recent Iron Age implements at many sites provide evidence of a very long and almost continuous presence of humans in the area making up the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park . Early inhabitants were San hunter-gatherers who left numerous rock-paintings scattered across the region, while Bantu people entered about 800 years ago, gradually displacing the San.

The available evidence suggests that humans occurred at low density and were mostly confined to the more permanent river courses. It is reasonable to assume from the continuous presence at some sites (Pafuri, for example) that humans and wildlife existed in harmony, with no major impact of humans on wildlife or the reverse. The arid nature of the environment, together with an abundance of predators and diseases (e.g. malaria) would have played a role in preventing large-scale human population growth and settlement. Nevertheless, sophisticated cultures already existed by the 16 th century, as evidenced by the Thulamela and other ruins near Pafuri.

2.4 Progress

Major developments have taken place to boost tourism to the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. The most important of these was the opening of the Giriyondo access facility between Limpopo and Kruger National Parks on 16 August 2006. This made Limpopo National Park’s tourism facilities and wilderness trails more accessible. In total 3 885 animals have been translocated and many animals have also migrated from Kruger by themselves. To encourage this, as further 30 km section of fence along the northern boundary between Kruger and Limpopo National Park was dropped. Peace Parks Foundation is assisting the Mozambican government in overseeing the development of the Limpopo National Park (LNP) – a project approved by the SADC member states and funded by the German Ministry of Cooperation through KfW . Progress in this development includes the following:

  • All known suspected mined areas as well as all development sites have been cleared of land mines and unexploded ordnance.
  • A resource mapping exercise was completed in the buffer zone of the park in an effort to support the livelihood of the communities living inside the park along the Limpopo River by ensuring that they have an area adequate for their resource utilisation needs. A new boundary for the buffer zone was subsequently negotiated with the communities.
  • Field rangers were trained and deployed in the park, bringing the total to 73. Workshops were also held between communities and field rangers to enhance collaboration and cooperation.
  • Management and Tourism Development Plans were drafted. According to the latter, the park has a potential to accommodate 486 180 visitors per annum and would need to provide 2 184 beds.
  • A resettlement working committee was established. The committee has approved the resettlement framework which was developed and has agreed on a plan of action on how to continue.

2.4.1 The following tourism projects now exist:

  • Machampane tented camp, which is situated in the solitude of a pristine wilderness area in the Lebombo Mountains.
  • Accommodation consists of luxury en-suite tents on raised decks, set into the river bank and overlooking the Machampane River.
  • The Machampane wilderness trail, which offers a 3 night/4 day experience with daily walking trails in the company of experienced armed game rangers. The trail meanders through open bushveld, descends into river gorges and winds its way through dense riverine and mopani forest.
  • The Shingwedzi 4x4 eco-trail, which is aimed at true bush lovers and is a guided, self-drive, 4 night/5 day 4x4 trail which offers a unique pioneering opportunity to no more than six participant 4x4 vehicles to explore the tracks and wilderness of the park. Three 4x4 camps with ablution facilities have been built along the trail.
  • The Aguia Pesqueira (Fish Eagle) campsite, which is situated halfway between Giriyondo and Massingr and provides the opportunity to camp on a plateau with a spectacular view of the Massingir Dam, measuring 103 km² and featuring an abundance of bird life.
  • The Massingir hiking trail offers a 4 night/5 day wilderness adventure hiking experience.

Good progress has also been made with the construction of the park’s management infrastructure. Staff units which can accommodate nine senior staff members are ready for occupation and the headquarters for the park was completed in 2006. To facilitate communication, a VHF radio system with eight repeater sites has been built and is operational.

In Zimbabwe, the government made over $1 million available for Gonarezhou National Park’s infrastructure, such as improving access roads, providing electricity and water to existing campsites and constructing additional ones. The establishment of a combined local authority comprising the Chiredzi, Beit Bridge and Chipinge district councils furthermore provided an institutional framework to enable the creation of the Sengwe/Tshipise Corridor, which will be demined. A site is also being cleared for an access facility at Chitulipasi for when a direct crossing point over the Limpopo River is built. In order to provide strategic guidelines and direction for the development of the park, the GLTP joint management board is developing a five–year integrated development and business plan with the overall objective of providing a comprehensive package of business and investment opportunities. The plan will also guide the joint management board and management committee activities over the next five years, as well as the country-specific interdepartmental budgeting processes; provide potential funders and donors with information on the GLTP; and establish the baseline for evaluation of the GLTP project.

2.5 Tourism opportunities

Based on its ecological heritage, the Great Limpopo's primary economic activity is nature-based tourism. From a tourism development perspective, the key components in the GLTP are Kruger National Park and the Makuleke region in South Africa , which have had more than 100 years of tourism development and currently host more than one million visitors a year. The established, sophisticated tourism infrastructure in this part of the GLTP will serve as an ideal springboard for increasing tourism throughout the rest of the TFCA.

Mozambique 's biggest natural asset is its beautiful coastline. This has resulted in the development of the “bush-beach ecotourism” concept. Visitors can enjoy world class game viewing including most of Africa's magnificent mammals, reptiles, birds and plants in the GLTP, travelling along the bush-beach ecotourism route, possibly stopping at Banhine National Park or Banamana Wetland for a “feathered five” experience, and continue to the beautiful coastal resorts of Gaza and Inhambane provinces. Eventually tourists will be able to cross the border between the Kruger and Limpopo National Parks , which would make both parks more accessible to visitors from both countries via a much shorter route.

The south-eastern lowveld of Zimbabwe also provides opportunities for developing unique tourism experiences. In the southern portion, including the community areas, which constitute the corridor linking Gonarezhou to Kruger, numerous cultural tourism possibilities exist or are already being developed. Towards the northern part of Gonarezhou there are magnificent cliffs and gorges where canoeists and rafters could start their adventure down the Save River Valley to Zinave National Park , going on to the coastal estuary near Bazaruto National Marine Park and the dugongs in Linga-Linga Bay .

2.6 Current projects

Attention is being paid to the northern section of the GLTP through the Pafuri Integrated Land-Use and Tourism Plan, which was drafted in order to integrate the tourism development and conservation in the Pafuri region. This region includes the northern section of the Limpopo and Kruger national parks, the Makuleke region, areas in South Africa’s Limpopo province that lie to the west of Kruger National Park and the Makuleke region, and the Sengwe and Tshipise communal areas in Zimbabwe. The drafting of this Plan was sponsored by the Dutch National Postcode Lottery

2.7 History

Documents

Agreements

Agreement on the development of the GKG Transfrontier Park

Media statements

Speeches

  • Minister Moosa's speech at the occasion of the handover of elephants to Mozambique , 4 October 2001
  • Address by former President Nelson Mandela at the handover of elephants to Mozambique , 4 October 2001

2.8 Map


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.9 Related Websites

2.10 Enquiries - Specific TFCA enquiries

Enquiries - Specific TFCA enquiries

South Africa

Mr Ernest Mokganedi
Director: TFCAs
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Tel: +27 12 310 3698
Fax: +27 12 320 1243
E-mail: emokganedi@deat.gov.za

Zimbabwe

Mr Edison Chidziya
National TFCA Coordinator
Parks and Wildlife Management Authority
Tel: +263 4 724 025
Fax: +263 4 724 914
E-mail: tfca@africaonline.co.zw

Mozambique

Dr. Bartolomeu Soto
Tel :  + 258 823 029 300
Fax  : +258 213 023 73
Cell :  +258 823 029 300
E-mail: bsonto@tfcabo.co.mz

2.11 Accommodation in the Park

Kruger National Park
Skukuza Reservations Office
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Phone: +27 (0)13 735 4030
Fax: +27 (0)13 735 4060

Kruger National Park
Pretoria Reservations Office
Pretoria, South Africa
Phone: +27 (0)12 428 9111
Fax: +27 (0)12 343 4605
reservations@sanparks.org

Limpopo National Park
Machampane Wilderness Trail and Massingir Hiking Trail
Bridget Bagley, SA National Parks
Phone: +27 (0)12 426 5111
bridgetb@sanparks.org

Gonarezhou National Park
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management
Head Office, Harare, Zimbabwe
Phone: +263 (0)4 792 786
Fax: +263 (0)4 724 914
tfca@africaonline.co.zw

Limpopo National Park
Limpopo National Park Office
Phone: +27 (0)31 752 3314
limpopo@wol.co.za

2.12 Parastatal:

Mr Piet Theron
TFCA Programme Manager
South African National Parks (SANParks)
PO Box 787
Pretoria, 0001
South Africa


Cell: +27 82 468 6488
Tel: +27 12 420 4314 / 16
Fax: +27 12 420 4622
E-mail: piett@sanparks.org