Massingir, 1 June (LNP) – In a ceremony held in Mabalane and led by the Governor of Gaza Province, Mr Raimundo Diomba, a cheque for 1 387 303.20 Mt (€32 146) was handed over to the Limpopo National Park communities. The cheque represents the communities’ 20% share of the 2013 revenues. The handover ceremony was attended by park staff and representatives of Massingir, Mabalane and Chicualacuala district governments and communities.
In his speech, Mr Diomba urged beneficiaries to continue to use the money to the benefit of communities by implementing development projects with the potential of further income generation for communities..
According to Mr Fernando Malhaule, a member of the Massingir community, the park has transferred their share of revenues to the communities every year since 2006, when the park began to generate revenues. He stated that the communities have invested these funds in the construction of a craft center, the rehabilitation of classrooms and in potable water supply systems. Last year’s revenue sharing funding was used to create livestock associations that will refund the loans though livestock sales.
In addition to the park’s various community projects, such as the 18 community irrigation schemes implemented in the buffer zone from which over 3 000 community members benefit, the park has to date handed communities a total 20% revenue sharing amount of 7 526 962 Mt (€174 410).
By Antony Alexander
Project Manager
Limpopo National Park
Mozambique proclaimed Limpopo National Park on 27 November 2001 and requested Peace Parks Foundation’s assistance in overseeing its development as a Southern African Development Community approved project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Development through KfW, Agence Française de Développement, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit and the World Bank. The park is being developed as an integral component of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.