For the next two months, residents and stakeholders living in areas adjacent to baboons’ natural habitat will have the opportunity to study and comment on the Proposed Baboon Strategic Management Plan (CPBSMP).
Released for public comment last week, the draft constitutes the plan for the sustainable management of the Chacma Baboon population in the Cape Peninsula.
The Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT), consisting of South African National Parks (SANParks), CapeNature and the City of Cape Town, released a joint statement on Friday 27 January, saying that the draft plan proposes “a new sustainable approach with these three authorities leading and supporting the implementation of the plan”.
“It is informed by research, international best practice and operational experience, as well as the input from stakeholders at Minister Barabara Creecy’s roundtable event at Kirstenbosch on 7 June (last year), and the community engagements undertaken by the City of Cape Town in August and September last year,” the statement read.
A summary of these proposals and responses from these community engagements – as well as whether these have been included in the CPBSMP or not – appear in the 22-page document.
So does a table detailing the CPBSMP’s implementation plan. According to the document, seven outcomes will drive the implementation plan. These include:
- A wild baboon population sustainably managed and conserved on the Cape Peninsula;
- the provision for regulatory requirements and the promotion of compliance and law enforcement by authorities at national, provincial and local level;
- stakeholder engagement and partnerships that enable local solutions and action to encourage baboons to remain in natural areas and reduce human–baboon conflict;
- effective waste management in the natural, rural and urban areas to ensure that baboons are unable to access human derived foods;
- stakeholder communication, education and awareness on all aspects of baboon management for residents, businesses and tourists to enable the conservation and well-being of baboons and the mitigation of human-baboon conflict;
- infrastructure and services designed and operated to minimise impacts on baboons; and
- adaptive management of the baboon population informed by continuous monitoring, evaluation;, scientific research and stakeholder feedback.
While the tables’ “output”, “actions” and “estimated time frame” columns – detailing how and when these seven outcomes are to be achieved – make for interesting reading, the “responsibility” column will most likely grab the most attention. It indicates which of the three authorities will take the lead, and which will lend support, in the actions planned.
The “who will be responsible for what” question has been a question asked at many of the stakeholder engagements held last year.
At the initial roundtable event held in June last year, Creecy said: “What I am hearing is that SANParks (South African National Parks) is not coming to the party. It is what the researchers are saying and it is what many of you are saying. I have no idea why not but I am here now and SANParks is going to be at the party. Finish and klaar.
At the same meeting, Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews allayed concerns that the City was withdrawing from the urban baboon management programme following earlier media reports that the City would be abandoning its urban baboon management programme in July this year.
“We are absolutely committed to perform whatever obligation we have as a property owner, as a municipality, public works. The desired outcome is that by then end of 30 June 2023 to have a sustainable programme ready for implementation, Andrews said at the time.
In the joint statement released last week, Andrews said that the City is investigating how and in what capacity “we can contribute to ensure a smooth transition from our current Urban Baboon Programme to the new dispensation involving all stakeholders, once the draft plan has been approved.” He encouraged residents to go online, read the draft plan, and submit comments.
“We need as many people as possible to join this collaborative effort so that we can ensure more sustainable and inclusive outcomes,” said Andrews.
Residents, interested and affected parties, and stakeholders are encouraged to submit their written comments by Friday 31 March 2023, and attend a stakeholder meeting at Kirstenbosch on Friday 3 March.
- The plan and comment form are available online for downloading, at: SANParks (https://bit.ly/3j9PZTy), CapeNature (https://zurl.co/uAB5) or City of Cape Town (www.capetown.gov.za/HaveYourSay)
