Transfrontier Park is now joint initiative

2004/06/21 - 15:20

The establishment of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park is a process that will link the Parque Nacional do Limpopo in Mozambique, Kruger National Park in South Africa, Gonarezhou National Park, Manjinji Pan Sanctuary and Malipati Safari Area in Zimbabwe.

Political support in all three countries was achieved when the Ministers for the Environment of Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to initiate the establishment of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park on 10 November 2000.

On 9 December 2002 the three heads of state signed an international treaty to establish the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) in Xai-Xai, Mozambique. Two days later the Ministers for the Environment of Mozambique and South Africa removed part of the fence between the Limpopo and Kruger National Parks to symbolise the creation of what is to become the world’s greatest animal kingdom.

Since the signing of the MOU, working groups operational under a technical committee which, in turn, was operational under a ministerial committee were established. The signing of the GLTP treaty effectively transformed the technical committee into a joint management board and the working groups into management committees. The thus established permanent management committees deal with conservation; safety and security; finance, human resources and legislation; and tourism. Facilitating the process is an international coordinator, who was replaced in November when Mozambique took over from South Africa as coordinating country to develop and implement the GLTP project.