4X4 BAN and the Mtubatuba IDP process.

The 4x4 ban,  or the closure of our beaches to reasonable motor vehicle access, has had a rather nasty impact on the tourism associated with recreational use of the South African beaches within rural areas along the South African Coast line

In the Elephant Coast region,  where the IWPA are in control  of the coastal zone, and manage the area in accordance with the world heritage act, these losses have been very pronounced and rather disturbing, causing huge economic issues, which have been festering and causing anger amongst the folks on the ground for the last 15 years.  way back in 2004 KZN TOURISM estimated these economic losses caused the tourism industry of Umkhanyakude District Municipality to shed in excess of 20 000 jobs.

  These 20 000 job losses were never addressed, as the IWPA claimed that they had these issues, under control,  and that the envisaged INTERNATIONAL TOURISM that would be generated through the marketing of the world heritage status of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Wold Heritage Site and the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative would off set these losses.   These tourism gains due to the world heritage status of the park, as well as other government initiatives, including but not limited to the LSDI, never materialized. 

It is thus time to take action and demand an answer from central government what they are doing to alleviate the serious economic losses caused by the 4x4 ban.  This will be accomplished by taking the issue up at the Mtubatuba Local Municipality IDP structures and requesting that the various role

players come and explain their role in ensuring the failure of the domestic tourism sector within the Umkhanyakude district municipality, focusing on the Mtubatuba Local municipality, and the St. Lucia tourism node, which is the region that suffered the biggest losses with the local arts and crafts industry collapsing and disappearing .

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority is the government appointed body  to look after the Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park World Heritage Site along the Elephant Coast of KZN South Africa.  It is the duty of the IWPA or the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority to ensure that tourism associated with the use of our first world heritage site is equitable and reaches the majority of tourism stake holders within the area (Umkhanyakude District Municipality)  The IWPA have failed miserably due to the implementation f the 4x4 ban which did not go down well with the domestic tourism market shedding more than 20 000 jobs, as per the last paragraph on page two of this document by KZN Tourism.  

what to do and which way forward is now an issue that needs urgent attention from central government, with the question being  

1) Do we mine the lake, leaving the rehabilitation up to the IWPA,  or 

2) do we push tourism as an alternative, or 

3) do we chase the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority out of town, then mine the lake, and rehabilitate the area to be the biggest nature based tourism project ever ?

my self personally, I like option 3.......

See open letter to the Mtubatuba Local Municipality here for more