The concept of a Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) around the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers, an initiative dating back more than eight decades, was realized last week with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Government ministers and officials from the three countries, as well as other stake-holders, braved the hot southern sun on Thursday, June 22, to sign and witness the signing of an historical agreement amongst the three African neighbours which will see the proposed establishment of the Limpopo/Shashe Transfrontier Conservation Area (interim name).

There could not have been a more fitting venue for the ceremony. South African dignitaries and guests were escorted over the now almost dry Limpopo River over a makeshift but sturdy wooden walkway to meet up with their Botswana and Zimbabwean counterparts on the dry riverbed at the exact point of confluence between the Limpopo and the mighty Shashe, dubbed Shalimpo.

Before the actual signing of the agreement, the three countries’ Ministers of Environment had the opportunity to express their views on the proposed TFCA. Botswana’s Minister of Environment, Minister Kitso Mokaila, jokingly pointed out that, although South Africa might boast more biodiversity with regard to the TFCA, Botswana definitely boasts more biomass. His South African counterpart, Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, added to this by saying that his Department will further stock the area with wildlife so that all could enjoy a truly “Big Five” gaming experience. It was, however, Zimbabwe’s Minister, Francis Nhema, who gave the most food for thought when he pointed out that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding highlights a process to restore what was lost in the past with regard to nature conservation and that people must remember to learn from their mistakes.

The proposed Limpopo/Shashe TFCA straddles the international borders of Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. TFCAs are a recent and exciting new approach to the conservation of natural resources and tourism development. Their primary purpose is to facilitate the conservation of biodiversity and is critical in situations where endangered ecosystems or species are shared between countries. When established, this Limpopo/Shashe TFCA will embrace land owned by different stakeholders and become a unique conservation initiative involving partnerships between governments, private land owners and local communities.

South African land committed to the TFCA would comprise a complex mosaic of private land, state-owned land and national parks. SANParks, with the assistance of the World Wide Fund for Nature (South Africa), De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd, the National Parks Trust and Peace Parks Foundation, has been involved in land purchases since 1998 to create the Mapungubwe National Park. This park would form the core area of South Africa’s contribution to the Limpopo/Shashe TFCA and will include 18 properties of 25 800ha in total.

In Botswana, land committed to the proposed TFCA would include the Northern Tuli Game Reserve (Notugre), an association of private landowners who have agreed to remove the fences that separate their properties and jointly managed wildlife resources. Notugre presently consists of 36 farms with a combined area of 70 000 ha. Notugre is renowned for its Tuli elephants and the establishment of the TFCA will considerably expand the range of land available to this elephant population.

The potential area that Zimbabwe can commit to the proposed TFCA is the Tuli Circle Safari Area covering some 41 100ha. This area is contiguous with the northern end of Notugre and has no physical barriers to impede the movement of wildlife. The potential also exists to incorporate portions of the Maramani Communal Land into the area of the TFCA.

The total TFCA area is rich in plant and animal life, scenic geological features, paleontological and archaeological finds, including decorative artefacts and fossilized dinosaur remains and footprints. These, together with San rock paintings and engravings and the unique cultural resources with Iron Age settlements of around 1200 AD, in particular Mapungubwe in South Africa, will make the TFCA of great scientific and cultural value.

As for tourism, the Limpopo/Shashe TFCA with its wealth of wildlife, beautiful scenery and unique cultural assets looks sets to become a major tourist destination in southern Africa. There are already a number of privately owned lodges in Botswana (said to attract about 20 000 visitors annually) and a growing number on the South African side. The new Mapungubwe National Park has added 100 beds to its operations in the form of a rest camp with chalets, a tented camp, wilderness trails and various game-viewing facilities such as a tree-top walk, hides and access roads. In Zimbabwe, the Tuli Circle Safari Area is used extensively for hunting by permit.