Indawo Yokuphathwa Kwezilwane Zasendle i-Ikona, okuyingxenye yayo iSingita Grumeti Reserve, manje isimise ngokusemthethweni isikhungo esisha sezivakashi, lapho kuyozuza khona yonke indawo, ebekelwe ukongiwa kwezilwane zasendle. Lesi sikhungo sixhaswe ngosizo lwe-Frankfurt Zoological Society, uhulumeni wase-United States kanye ne-World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Iphinde yathola usizo emabhizinisini ezokuvakasha atholakala e-Wildlife Management Area (WMA), uqobo lwayo manje engungqondongqondo ezinhlelweni zokuvakasha komphakathi. Ukuqeqeshwa kwabantu bendawo nakho kuyingxenye ebalulekile yesikhungo esisha, esizohlinzeka ngamakhono adingeka kakhulu kubantu abavela endaweni, esikhundleni 'sokungenisa' abasebenzi abavela kwezinye izingxenye zeTanzania.
I-WMA yindlela entsha yokukhuthaza imiphakathi yasendaweni ukuthi ibambisane nabatshalizimali futhi ibeke eceleni umhlaba ongakhiqizi ngokweqile kwezolimo noma ukufuya ukongiwa kwezilwane zasendle, okuhloswe ngakho ukwakha izindawo zokuvikela ukuvikeleka okwengeziwe kwamapaki kazwelonke kanye neziqiwi, kepha futhi nokusabalalisa ezomnotho imihlomulo efana nemisebenzi kanye nemali engenayo ephathelene nezokuvakasha ezigodini ezake zeqiwa ngaphambili futhi zanganakwa. Izindaba ezimnandi zokongiwa kwemvelo ezivela eTanzania, okufanele ukushayelwa ihlombe nokwenza kwaziwe kabanzi.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- WMA ia a new approach to encouraging local communities to partner with investors and set aside land not overly productive in agriculture or ranching for wildlife conservation, aimed to create buffer zones for added protection of the main national parks and game reserves, but also to spread economic benefits like jobs and tourism related income into villages which have previously been bypassed and ignored.
- The Ikona Wildlife Management Area, of which the Singita Grumeti Reserve is part, has now formally commissioned a new visitor center, from which the entire area, dedicated to wildlife conservation, is to benefit.
- Training of locals is also important part of the new center, that will provide much needed skills to the people from the area, instead of ‘importing' staff from other parts of Tanzania.
