Table Mountain Park creates jobs
2 March 2004
Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Mohamed Valli Moosa has announced the release of R35-million in poverty relief funds to the renamed Table Mountain National Park to implement the vision of "a park for all, forever".
The funds will be used to create 445 conservation-related jobs in the park - formerly the Cape Peninsula National Park - over a period of three years.
Guided by the aims of reducing poverty, creating employment and providing training opportunities, contractors will be drawn from disadvantaged communities situated around the Cape Peninsula - Masiphumelele, Red Hill, Imizamo Yethu, Ocean View, Westlake and the Hout Bay fishing community.
Work will be conducted using the most labour-intensive methods possible, with employee demographics in line with standard public works programme conditions - 60% female, 20% youth, and 2% disabled people.
All beneficiaries will receive skills training to enable them to derive a
livelihood after their involvement with the programme.
The programme covers a range of activities, including infrastructure development, rehabilitation and maintenance in both the terrestrial and marine components of the park.
"This is an excellent example of investing in capital infrastructure to both create jobs and conserve Cape Town's natural heritage", said David Mabunda, chief executive of South African National Parks.
While the programme will begin in earnest in April, work has already begun, with 30 people involved in two projects.
One team is packing gabions with stone that will be used to upgrade paths, while another team is clearing up the Platteklip Gorge Wash House precinct, which is the gateway to the Hoerikwaggo Trail - a six-night hike that extends from Table Mountain to Cape Point.
According to Brett Myrdal, Table Mountain National Park manager, the project will help create a network of high-quality tourist infrastructure that is able
to cope with the park's more than 4.2 million annual visitors.
"As the main business of the park is conservation of biodiversity, it is vital that we have a network of durable paths that will soften the footprint of tourism while simultaneously ensuring that people from all over our city and the world have safe and well sign-posted access to the park", Myrdal said.
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
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