Africa Wild

This makes my blood boil! And ja, I'm a teacher myself and am glad the kids got computers and what not....A long time ago SANParks told me not to hide behind my children...




The South African National Parks (SANParks) officially handed over a computer laboratory as part of its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programmes to Masiza High School in Mbaula, a village outside Phalaborwa yesterday, 4 June 2013.


"In the past, our approach to community development was more of providing access to benefits that accrue from our business. For 100 years or so, in fact. Around R20 000 000 000 per year to Mpumalanga and RSA, lately, dirctly and indirectly We have now added the issue of Corporate Social Investment wherein we have begun to provide facilities and resources that can benefit the whole community", You are not a CORPORATE anything, ffs! A Corporate would have fired its CEO for loss of stock and bungled labour disputes long ago, for example! SP is a Parastatal Organisation, presided over by a board of trustees! said the Kruger National Park Managing Executive, Abe Sibiya on behalf of SANParks.


The school, situated on the border of the iconic Kruger National Park is the first beneficiary of the SANParks CSI project in the Limpopo Province. Not really, mopanie worms have been harvested for years now, and schoolchildren bussed in too...perhaps the latter is more in line with your conservation mandate?The computer lab is not meant to benefit learners only; but that outside the normal school hours, it will also extend the service to people in the community aspiring to have computer skills.

Sibiya said "This is the first project which talks directly to our new vision "National Parks connecting to Society". Who exactly decided that a National Park should have this "new vision"?Our bet now is to improve the socio-economic situation of the rural poor in the provinces; which is also in line with the government mandate. I see...Government...if SANParks is now a political tool, just admit it? (Not much happening on the Mpumalanga side of Kruger, BTW?) The programme forms part of the KNP's broader strategy of economic empowerment and social responsibility programmes which focuses on communities around the Parks". The communities are perfectly well aware of the financial/economic importance of the Parks. It is extremely paternalistic to assume otherwise, in my opinion.


For five years, the programme will mainly focus around education related needs such as support through provision of required infrastructure, libraries, science laboratories, additional classrooms, borehole/water tanks and in future, will also look at other areas as identified with community stakeholders and relevant institutions.
In conclusion Sibiya said through these projects, SANParks hopes that beneficiaries will inspire a culture of performance and cost effectiveness; becoming thoughtful learning communities which use information and forward planning to increase their value - thereby giving SANParks returns on these social investments - into the future.

The computer lab (including refurbishment of the building and installation of 32 computers) amounts to the value of R800 000.




I have paid enough money to SANParks over the last decades to finance this project myself, but I assumed that money would go to conservation. Limpopo education department has a R23 BILLION budget for this year, which is where I am reasonably happy my tax money will go to.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/limp ... -1.1485607

In fact, some of my tax money also goes to finance SP itself, to the tune of millions of rands from Government.

Why on earth should SP be requested to/volunteer to/whatever to spend conservation money on what amounts to be no more than a tiny public relations exercise????

If SP are afraid communities will simply romp into Kruger, which seems to be the excuse regarding land claims, then so be it! Don't take on the jobs other massive departments are mandated to do! Let's see!

Politics!!!!!!!

Well said RP!

Yah, hey look how feeble!!

Our country has become like a sewer pipe,...

Open ended both sides!!!! The restricting factor,
to slow the mess flowing past, called moral, seems
went first through this tube unrestricted!!

There was a brief moment that SA portrayed
pride and togetherness. That was 2010WC.

If at all possible,.. .gov a WC every year, 'cause
then it was beautiful!!!!!

MEDIA RELEASE: SANPARKS GIVES OUT ANOTHER LEGACY TO SCHOOL KIDS
Date: 7th June 2013

The South African National Parks (SANParks) officially handed-over the R2, 2 million administration block to Dumisani High School at Cork, a village outside Kruger Gate yesterday, 6 June 2013.
"Historically, conservation in South Africa was aimed at preserving isolated pockets of biodiversity with access being granted only to the privileged few. In our new democratic order, it is critical that the country's resources be spread to all citizens so that they could all make a contribution in building of a new society," said the SANParks CEO, Dr David Mabunda at the handover function.
This Corporate Social Investment (CIS) programme supports government's mandate towards community development and is also in line with SANParks' vision "National Parks Connecting to Society".
The Administration Block is meant to provide suitable working environment for the school's 48 educators and two administrators; thereby enhancing quality learning and education to the 1375 learners at the school.
20 jobs were also created during the construction of the centre and local SMME's were contracted. The main contractor was sourced from the SANParks Contractors' Expanded Public Works Programme.
Mabunda indicated that "This is the first step that all of us must take in order to realize the kind of society that we want and that which the rural poor want to live in. Through our CSI programme and many others, we will continue to develop mutual relationships between protected areas and neighbouring communities, making our national parks a true mirror of our society's environmental values."
In closing, Mabunda urged the educators and learners to use the new facility responsibly. "You are currently the guardian of this building; please look after it so that your grand and great grand children will be able to use it as well," he concluded.
This CSI project handover follows another of a computer lab which was handed over to Masiza high school at Mbaula village in Limpopo Province on Tuesday, 5 June 2013.

Mabunda wrote:"You are currently the guardian of this building; please look after it so that your grand and great grand children will be able to use it as well,"

And you Dr Mabunda, are the "guardian" of our National Parks, please do the same to ensure the same result for our and your grand and great grand children.

R2.2 million! Speechless!

SP pleads poverty due to lack of Government funding, then uses conservation money to pay for projects that should be budgeted for by that same government!

I wonder if it is paid from the community levy only or is it from the big game sales

Toko wrote:I wonder if it is paid from the community levy only

That would have been shouted out, Toko, but a good question! Still no excuse!

I normally applaud any initiative that promotes education, but think that the money spent here would have been better assigned to send local schoolchildren into the parks to experience the wildlife on their doorstep. This is the only way that we can educate future generations to appreciate the biodiversity on this planet and therefore save species from extinction. Just imagine a young child's eyes on seeing their first Lion, Impala, wildebeest, Eagle, whatever. We are all influenced by some magical experience at an early age, no matter what species it is. A lost opportunity in my mind.