[botswanapredatorforum] Re: Ghantzi Road Fence

  • From: joseph okori <joseph_okori@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:36:03 +0100 (BST)

Dear Moses, thank you for this update, very useful
Joseph




________________________________
From: moses selebatso <selebatsom@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sun, 14 August, 2011 19:50:21
Subject: [botswanapredatorforum] Re: Ghantzi Road Fence


Dear ALL

I am concerned as everybody about the fencing of the Trans-Kalahari Highway. 
There has been a push especially from the truckers using the high about the 
number of livestock on the road, especially at night. In response to that 
government through the Ministry of Work, Transport and communication, an EIA 
was 
conducted and the recommendations that were made were relatively reasonable. I 
have attached a part of the report from the EIA for your information. 
Basically the consutant recommended sectional fencing, almost 10KM on either 
side of Village or towns along the TKH.

The Western Kgalagadi Conservation Corridor also did some analyis of the key 
wildlife habitats. A summary of that report is also attached here. The WKCC 
also 
deployed 10 satellite collars on wildebest in the WMAs. Unfortunately 8 collars 
made localised movement, and one collared move from near Lonetree to CKGR and 
died just inside the reserve within two months of collaring. I have also 
attached a copy of a ma showing these collars. The project came to an end in 
April 2011.

I hope these will give you an idea of what is happening. I have not used the 
road since February, but i remember that there were some activity on the side 
of 
the road near Sekoma, but i am not if that was a fence. I JUST HOPE THAT IF 
THERE IS ANY FENCING IT WILL BE AS RECOMMENDED!

Regards


Moses Selebatso
MSc Tropical Ecology & Management of Natural Resources 
P.O. Box 602403
Gaborone, Botswana
 
+267 716 393 70 (Mobile)

--- On Sun, 14/8/11, Richard White <rhwhite@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


>From: Richard White <rhwhite@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: [botswanapredatorforum] Re: Ghantzi Road Fence
>To: botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Date: Sunday, 14 August, 2011, 16:45
>
>
>The easiest way to get the name of the company is to stop and ask the workers 
>doing the job along the road. Alternatively, the PPADB is required to disclose 
>to any member of the public the identity of the winner of any tender.
>When you have the company name, you go to the office of the registrar of 
>companies and ask the name of the company secretary.
>The company secretary is required by law to disclose the names of all current 
>shareholders in the company. This was the mechanism used to identify Ndelu 
>Seretse and lay him open to a corruption charge.
>Richard White 
>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: Pete Le Roux 
>>To: botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>>Cc: <botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
>>Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2011 7:23 PM
>>Subject: [botswanapredatorforum] Re: Ghantzi Road Fence
>>
>>
>>Does anybody have the name of the fencing contracting company.  I would 
>>suggest 
>>that further investigation is necessary before a hand is played?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Sent from my iPad
>>
>>On 13 Aug 2011, at 1:23 PM, "Richard White" <rhwhite@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>
>>The original EIA study (which I wrote) strongly advocated that the road 
>>should 
>>not be fenced and Doug ??? who was Chief Biologist in DWNP in the 1980's said 
>>that fencing the road would destroy any chance of rebuilding wildlife 
>>populations in the western sandveld.
>>>The problem here is two-fold:
>>>     1. A DWNP that hasn't got its eye on the ball and frankly lacks the 
>>>professional capability to appraise the impact of this type of 
>>>development objectively. 
>>>
>>>     2. A Minister of Transport with an agenda that excludes such 
>>> considerations.
>>>Johnny Swartz (previous Minister of Transport) told me many years ago that 
>>>the 
>>>road would be fenced and the project was initiated when he was Minister of 
>>>Transport. You should look into the possibility that he has a vested 
>>>interest 
>>>(shares in a fencing contractor is one possibility).
>>>If you want to stop it at this stage, an approach to the President is your 
>>>only 
>>>hope.
>>>Richard White
>>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>From: mark 
>>>>To: botswanapredatorforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>>>>Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2011 12:32 PM
>>>>Subject: [botswanapredatorforum] Ghantzi Road Fence
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Does anybody have any information on the Ghantzi road fence??
>>>> 
>>>>I am aware that a few years ago, some organisation (WCS??) sponsored a EURO 
>>>>5 
>>>>million study looking at the wildlife corridor between CKGR and KTP, and 
>>>>worked 
>>>>with the communities in those areas. I think ex DWNP director Mr Sedia 
>>>>Modisa 
>>>>was involved. Anyway, there is now a double bonnox fence with barbed wire 
>>>>running on both sides of the Jwaneng to Ghantzi road, which is a fairly 
>>>>effective barrier to wildlife movement in these areas I am sure. The fence, 
>>>>by 
>>>>its markings is not simply near villages but is marked or being constructed 
>>>>in 
>>>>the WMas too.
>>>> 
>>>>A few questions.
>>>> 
>>>>I thought that some vestiges of a migratory route for the few wildebeeste 
>>>>left 
>>>>in CKGR moves across between Sekgoma and Kang. I have seen wild dogs, lion 
>>>>and 
>>>>cheetah crossing this section of road in the last 10 years, as well as 
>>>>Hartebeeste and Springbok?
>>>> 
>>>>Why is the reserve not being fenced with normal barbed wire. A five strand 
>>>>barbed wire fence inhibits cattle but not wildlife??
>>>> 
>>>>Dos DWNP know of the existence of this fence, and was the WCS?? study made 
>>>>available to the roads department??
>>>> 
>>>>This to me seems another study done, and placed on a shelf to retain dust 
>>>>and 
>>>>not be shared between ministries?? 
>>>>

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