Minister Creecy: launch of the Thohoyandou National Botanical Garden and International Day for Biodiversity

Minister Creecy: launch of the Thohoyandou National Botanical Garden and International Day for Biodiversity Thohoyandou National Botanical Gardens, Thohoyandou, Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province
22 May 2022

Programme director;
MEC of Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Mr Thabo Mokone
The Mahosi gathered here
The acting Executive Mayor of Vhembe District Municipality, Councillor Anderson Mudunungu and council members present
The Chairperson of the Board of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Professor Nesamvuni  
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SANBI Mr Shonisani Munzhedzi
Officials from government and entities
Academics from various institutions of learning
Community members who have graced this occasion
Members of the media;
Ladies and gentlemen;

Good morning, ndi matsheloni, aa!

It gives me great pleasure to greet you all in these beautiful surrounds for the historic launch of Limpopo’s first national botanical garden here in Thohoyandou.

We are particularly honoured by the presence of the Mphaphuli Royal Council, the Mphaphuli Traditional Council, the Mphaphuli Development Trust, Royal Family members and esteemed members of the surrounding communities.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The choice of celebrating today has a second significance. Today we join countries around the world in celebrating the International Day for Biological Diversity for which the theme is “Building a shared future for all life”. 

Conservation of our rich biodiversity is a foundation on which we can build a better and more sustainable world for future generations.  By restoring ecosystem services and creating of natural spaces, such as this new garden, we assist in reducing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and in the process mitigate climate change risks.

Conserving and restoring ecosystems, such as wetlands, rivers, and catchments, can reduce the disastrous impacts of extreme weather events, including floods and droughts.

The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Report on Climate Change (IPCC) tells us that climate change is already part of our lives and warns that climate induced disasters are the most significant threat to people economies and the natural world today.

South Africa, as a developing country, hopes to rely on our rich biodiversity to help us in our battle against the evils of poverty, unemployment and inequality.

Our country is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity. The post 2020 Biodiversity Framework, which will be considered in Kunming, China in September this year, has three inter-related aspects:

Conservation,
Sustainable use, and
Equitable Community Beneficiation
Cabinet has endorsed these three principles because they are in line with our own domestic policies and legislation.    

It is, therefore, important that as we look to a nature-based future, we keep in mind the interaction between people, the environment and all species.

This includes challenging the belief that scientific and technical means of conserving biological diversity is better than traditional knowledge historically used by communities to sustainably use and protect the biological resources they have been utilizing for food preparation, medicines and other purposes for generations.

By enhancing conservation of our rich biological diversity, we can not only reduce poverty and speed up development, but we can also empower our communities to share traditional knowledge with businesses through access and benefit sharing agreements, and contribute to capacity building while raising awareness of the use of traditional knowledge in biodiversity conservation.

As South Africa prepares to join parties in China later this year, we are looking forward to the adoption of an ambitious Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15, which has been developed during a time when humanity is at a crossroads in dealing with the challenges posed by climate change, which has caused unprecedented biodiversity loss, increased desertification and seen an increase in extreme weather conditions. 

Despite challenges such a lack of financial resources and capacity, and slow scientific and technology transfer to assist developing countries to implement the activities of the Convention, South Africa remains one of the countries that has contributed significantly to the achievement of the Aichi biodiversity targets with unique programmes.

These include the Stewardship programme, the Biodiversity Economy and sustainable use programmes linked to the wildlife economy, bioprospecting projects, environmental and oceans economy programmes, and the implementation of the ecosystems approaches that promote biodiversity conservation while contributing to improving the livelihood of communities.

The National Botanical Gardens Expansion Strategy aims to firstly, establish at least one botanical garden in each province; secondly to ensure that all biomes are represented in the establishment of new botanical gardens and lastly to expand existing national botanical gardens as we have recently done for the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden in the Western Cape.

Last month both iSimangaliso Wetland Park and SANParks hosted investor conferences to attract private sector investment in new and existing tourism opportunities in our national parks.

The conferences come at a crucial time in our country’s overall Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan in which tourism recovery and growth features in the top five priorities together with infrastructure investment and green economy interventions.  Our expectation is that in due course these projects will create new work opportunities for communities bordering our national parks.

During my budget address to the National Assembly this week, I told members of parliament that in an effort to create more work opportunities for the local communities living adjacent to the protected areas and support for small and medium enterprises, the Department itself will invest more in the protection and conservation of natural resources. 

Through a partnership with SANParks, SANBI, and iSimangaliso, we will create 8 315-work opportunities through our Natural Resource Management Portfolio which clears invasive species, restores degraded dryland areas and rehabilitates wetlands. This work will include the necessary skills training required to undertake it.

A furthermore, 2 646 work opportunities will be created through the development and restoration of tourism and other infrastructure in partnership with provincial governments and traditional authorities.

Here in Thohoyandou at least 200 temporary job opportunities will be created through the establishment of this Botanical Garden with R20 million being secured from the Department’s Environmental Programmes and R20m from the National Department of Tourism for garden development and tourism destination promotion.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The  Thohoyandou National Botanical Garden is the eleventh such garden in our country. This garden represents the Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld that is a vulnerable vegetation type of which only 2.2% is currently. The addition of this garden contributes to the representivity of this major biome in the national botanical garden system.

It is fitting today that I acknowledge the role that various government departments have played in working with us to reach this historic occasion.

First, I must thank the foresight and forward thinking of the Mphaphuli Community under the leadership of his royal Highness Thovhele Mphaphuli.

Much of the land comprising this garden was originally taken from the community by the previous order and included in a botanical garden.  The community has chosen to settle their claim through financial compensation and allow the land to remain used for conservation purposes.

Secondly, my thanks go to MEC Mokone who has handed over a provincial botanical garden to the South African National Biodiversity Institute, and given us a basis to establish these Gardens. 

Thirdly want to thank the provincial department of Public Works of Roads, Infrastructure, and Deputy Minister Noxolo Kiviet for the role the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has, and continues to play in the vesting of the Gardens.

A very big thank you today goes to Minister Sisulu and the Department of Tourism for the very significant financial investment towards boosting infrastructure development in the Garden.

Esteemed dignitaries and guests, of course I must also acknowledge the role which the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development through the Chief Land Claims Commissioner has played in successfully navigating the land claim process which has allowed us to gather today.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Thohoyandou National Botanical Garden is a biodiversity centre for the province showcasing traditional botanical garden infrastructure, the role of indigenous knowledge and practices in conservation and biodiversity research facilities, which will be of benefit to the province.

The presence of the community members here today is especially significant because of the cultural and historical value that this land holds for you. We, as government, want to continue to grant access to your community to visit ancestral graves located within these gardens, in a more dignified and structured manner. This will be discussed and agreed to between SANBI and the affected communities.

In establishing the gardens, the benefit to the surrounding community was a key factor. The Vhavenda nation has a rich and unique cultural heritage, which the garden will aim to preserve. This includes the design and naming of structures in the garden.

In addition, the Vhembe region is known to have several unique and threatened floral species, which will be conserved in the garden and displayed for educational purposes and scientific research.  

The garden will also host workshops for traditional leaders and healers to raise awareness around sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants, while students from the University of Venda and leaners of Mphaphuli Community will also benefit from educational programmes. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

I spoke earlier about the importance of “Building a shared future for all life”. This wonderful partnership puts the relationship between people and nature at the forefront.  It conserves our rich biodiversity heritage for present and future generations and it ensures community development. This is what we mean when we call for a new deal for people and nature.

I now declare the Thohoyandou National Botanical Garden officially launched.

I thank you.