Mweya Lodge better without golf course

Apr 24, 2006

National Parks and Wildlife Reserves are areas set aside for conservation of wildlife. Homo sapiens can only visit as tourists (sustainable utilisation). The only humans found in these areas are wardens, rangers, guards, and poachers and tourists who come as intruders and visitors respectively.

By Achilles Byaruhanga

National Parks and Wildlife Reserves are areas set aside for conservation of wildlife. Homo sapiens can only visit as tourists (sustainable utilisation). The only humans found in these areas are wardens, rangers, guards, and poachers and tourists who come as intruders and visitors respectively.
Although human beings are considered animals, they are better described as domesticated animals and now live outside the wild except in unusual circumstances. Any animals or plants that are introduced in an environment where they do not naturally occur often become invasive species such as water hyacinth in Ugandan lakes, thought to originate from South America. There is no debate as to whether national parks and wildlife reserves are jungles of only wildlife.
Wildlife are plants and animals such elephants, hippos, buffalos, warthogs, lions, gorillas, giraffes, birds, insects and so on. There is no human being so wild like the animals mentioned above that needs to live in the National Parks.
National Parks are one of the few remaining assets that are truly Ugandan. Activities like a golf courses in a National Parks are dangerously invasive. Like the country joined together to fight water hyacinth in our lakes, we should come together with even more zeal to fight these invasives in our reserves and parks.
Madhvani's first invasive attempt into Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) was in 2001 when he had just acquired the concession to manage Mweya Safari Lodge. He raised fences to block animals from entering Mweya peninsula. Although conservationists and indeed park management made attempts to stop these fences, Madhvani backed by voices from above erected the fences. He thought then he had become smart and had fought off “saboteurs who frustrate investors.” Least did he know that he had set himself in a collision path with the custodians of the jungle, the wildlife. The elephants, the hippos, the warthogs led by mongooses staged a protest and pulled down the fences. It took these courageous animals quite a long time but they finally succeeded and today the animals roam and have full access to an area they should call their own, QENP, including Mweya peninsula.
I personally visit QENP at least four times a year and I always admire the courageous animals. You have to be there and watch a warthog tussling with wire mesh and concrete pillars. The bruises and gashing wounds inflicted by the wire mesh, metallic poles and concrete pillars have not stopped the hopes of these heroes from achieving their purpose, freedom in their home. At this point I thought Madhvani had leant a lesson. As the saying goes, “old habits die hard.” The property mogul is at again; this time he wants to convert the park into a golf course. No more fences but complete exclusion of animals from the peninsula (but who knows may be the whole park eventually!).

It is amazing that Madhvani enjoys the backing of the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry, the only Board member of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) who supports the plan. The lame excuse is that tourists shall not visit the park without such facilities and that the park shall not remain a jungle for animals only.
Queen Elizabeth I was in the Ugandan parks before in 1957 and that is why the park was named after her. It was called Kazinga National Park in 1952 when it was gazetted. There has never been a golf course in QENP or any other park in Uganda that could have been an attraction to the Queen.
The Madvhanis know very well the importance of Mweya peninsula to QENP and to their business; it is the hub of the park for both animals and visitors. The loafing and roosting birds, the animals resting after a drink from Kazinga Channel, the roaring lions at night and the thunderous calls of hippos.
One of the memorable events of visitors to QENP is a ferry trip around the peninsula that gives a summary spectacle of what QENP and indeed Uganda has to offer in terms of wildlife. Were there golf courses in parks when in early 1970s we received the highest number of tourists ever? I cannot therefore imagine such a contradiction that the business that benefits most from such beauty is the same that is daring to destroy it.
Madhvani should provide statistical information indicating that most visitors to QENP request for golf courses in the parks. This kind would help in further discussion. Otherwise Uganda must not be driven by such dreadful dreams! Our people have been killed and are still being harassed for being caught collecting firewood or food items in national parks. If it was a mistake to set aside these areas for wildlife conservation, then give Lake Mburo National Park to ranchers, let Bagisu have unlimited access to their malewa in Mt. Elgon NP, let the Bakiga and Batwa convert Bwindi Park into agricultural land and let the cattle keepers in Semuliki valley access the Semuliki Park and the Wildlife Reserve.

The writer is the Executive Officer of NatureUganda

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