National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act
Act No. 57 of 2003
To provide for the protection and conservation of ecologically viable areas representative of South Africa’s biological diversity and its natural landscapes and seascapes; for the establishment of a national register of all national, provincial and local protected areas; for the management of those areas in accordance with national norms and standards; for intergovernmental co-operation and public consultation in matters concerning protected areas; and for matters in connection therewith.
The purpose of this Act is:
- to provide, within the framework of national legislation, including the National Environmental Management Act, for the declaration and management of protected areas;
- to provide for co-operative governance in the declaration and management of protected areas;
- to effect a national system of protected areas in South Africa as part of a strategy to manage and conserve its biodiversity;
- to provide for a representative network of protected areas on state land, private land and communal land;
- to promote sustainable utilisation of protected areas for the benefit of people, in a manner that would preserve the ecological character of such areas; and
- to promote participation of local communities in the management of protected areas, where appropriate.
Chapters of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act
Definitions
Objectives of Act
State trustee of protected areas
Application of Act
Application of National Environmental Management Ac
Application of Biodiversity Act in protected areas
Conflicts with other legislation
Status of provincial legislation on provincial and local protected areas
Kinds of protected areas
Register of Protected Areas
Norms and standards
Provincial protected areas
World heritage sites
Specially protected forest areas, forest nature reserves and forest wilderness areas
Mountain catchment areas
Special nature reserves
Nature reserves
Protected environment
Consultation proces
General
Management authorities and management plans
Monitoring and supervisio
Access to protected areas
Restrictions
* Chapter 5 is omitted and will be inserted by way of an Amendment Bill. That Bill will be dealt with in terms of the procedure prescribed by section 75 of the Constitution - as explained in the Memorandum on the Objects of the Bill.
Acquisition of private land by State
Cancellation of servitude on, or privately held right in or to, state land
Mineral right
Financing
Regulations by Minister
Regulations by MEC
General
Offences and penalties
Repeal of laws
Protected areas existing before commencement of section
Short title and commencement
Protected Areas Management Plans
The purpose of the Protected Areas Management Plans is to:
- Contribute to the achievement of Provincial and National conservation targets through
protecting a representative portion of the Southern Zululand vegetation and associated faunal
components of the area and their associated biodiversity, including the ecological and
evolutionary processes that generate and maintainthis diversity ANR has a riverine habitat,
dune, coastal and swamp forests, undeveloped sandy beaches with associated beach
vegetation; - Conserve a small remnant of the Southern Zululand vegetation;
- Protect endangered, rare and endemic species indigenous to the area;
- Preserve and conserve the ecological and cultural heritage integrity of the area;
- Provide controlled and equitable access by the public to the area and its resources;
- Contribute to local and regional economies through sustaining good quality water production
and by providing a public amenity; and - Provide a destination for eco-cultural tourism in the KwaZulu-Natal Province.