Long term negotiations have finally culminated in an application to have the Mnweni ("Upper uThukela Location") declared a Wildnerness Area! This is with a long-term view to have this area included in the Drakensberg World Heritage Site.

Last week, Nkosi Menzi Hlongwane of the amaNgwane community and Nkosi Mthetho Miya of the amaZizi community, the two tribes living in the Mnweni, reached an agreement to set aside large portions of their land for conservation. While still remaining community land, it will be managed by KZN Wildlife. Ultimately, it's inclusion into the Drakensberg World Heritage Site will be a major breakthrough, no longer cutting the region in half. The two chiefs recognise the need to protect the region for fresh water resources, as well as the importance of the fauna and flora of the area. They also recognise the importance of the many rock art sites. The 45 000ha earmarked for this conservation will be fenced off, so that the cattle can still graze on the remaining land.

This development is a big step forward in the preservation of the Drakensberg, and a milestone in its history, since the Mnweni has never been formally conserved. Vertical Endeavour salutes the two chiefs and their people for this wisdom and foresight! We also appreciate the efforts of all inviolved in this process, the persistent efforts of Bergwatch in this region over the years, and KZN Wildlife.

Now, we would like to see more this kind of initiative across the entire Drakensberg region, including the Free State and Eastern Cape section, and the nieghbouring parts of Lesotho!

For further details see IOL article: Bonus for KZN conservation