Centre for Environmental Rights – Advancing Environmental Rights in South Africa

1. In respect of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act 57 of 2003 (‘NEMPAA’): Biodiversity Policy and Strategy for South Africa: Strategy on Buffer Zones for National Parks (‘Strategy for Buffer Zones’), which requires ‘buffer zones to be established around all national parks’ and commits government to establish buffer zones by publication in the Gazette; to integrate the buffer zones into municipal spatial development frameworks; and to declare buffer zones or parts thereof as protected environments in terms of the Act:

• Any management plans or specific Gazette publications that establish buffer zones around any national parks;
• Any consolidated reports, performance-monitoring instruments, and/or records evidencing overall progress in implementation of the Strategy for Buffer Zones;
•  Any reports and/or draft/final framework policies for buffer zones around protected areas and protected environments such as the Maloti Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site Proposed Draft Framework Policy for a Buffer Zone;
• Any records evidencing the establishment of a committee, working group or other institutional structure to oversee the management of buffer zones around protected areas/protected environments; and
• Any consolidated reports or records of buffer zones being considered in town planning and/or zoning schemes and/or municipal spatial development frameworks.

2. Any reports, plans, strategies or other records for managing buffer zones for protected area categories (including protected environments) in NEMPAA, other than national parks;

3. In respect of section 39(2) of NEMPAA:

• Any management plans, records or consolidated reports related to protected areas submitted in terms of section 39(2) of NEMPAA.

4. In respect of biodiversity management agreements in terms of section 44 of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004:

• Any records, reports or documents evidencing the conclusion of biodiversity management agreements related to buffer zones.