Cape Town - The Tri-party Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team is now looking forward to the upcoming public engagement process later this year following the release of a draft Memorandum of Agreement and a Strategic Management Plan of Chacma Baboons on the Cape Peninsula.
This comes after the round-table discussion on baboon management within the peninsula held by the joint task team, which consists of representatives from SA National Parks (SANParks), the City of Cape Town (CoCT) and CapeNature in June.
SANParks’ managing executive of conservation services, Dr Luthando Dziba, said: “Since the discussion hosted by Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy, we have held several meetings to discuss a memorandum of agreement between us, and now we are in the process of preparing for public engagement on the draft Strategic Baboon Management Plan.”
Dziba said the public engagement is set to take place once a draft plan is made available, possibly in November.
He said: “So far we have agreed on a Joint Task Team Terms of Reference (ToR). We are now looking to finalise the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between all three parties for approval by the end of October 2022.”
“Once that is done we will begin engaging other parties, such as the South African Navy (SAN), National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, DFFE, Cape of Good Hope SPCA, and other major property owners like the Western Cape government,” Dziba said.
Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town says that from August 2022 to date it has hosted seven online meetings with residents and businesses from baboon-affected areas to discuss a suite of more sustainable proposals.
The areas include Kommetjie, Scarborough and Misty Cliffs, Constantia south of Constantia Nek, Tokai, Zwaanswyk, Da Gama, Welcome Glen, Glencairn, Simon’s Town South and Murdock Valley.
Cape Town deputy mayor and spatial planning and environment Mayco member Eddie Andrews said: “I am very pleased to say that the meetings we hosted were well attended, and the engagements positive and constructive.
“Residents, interested parties and ratepayers’ associations across the board contributed with comments and proposals and also raised some concerns.
“We have been collating the feedback from the meetings, and this will be presented to the joint task team for consideration in the development of the draft Strategic Management Plan.
“The eighth meeting with Constantia residents north of Constantia Nek will follow on 22 September 2022,” Andrews said.
CapeNature executive director of conservation operations Dr Ernst Baard said: “We remain committed to being part of, and contributing to, the work of the joint task team.
“The sustainable management of baboons is important to ensure baboons continue to form an integral part of the biodiversity of the Cape Peninsula, including the Table Mountain National Park.”