The public has until Monday June 19 to comment on a revised draft of the SANParks plan for the management of the Tokai and Cecilia areas in the Table Mountain National Park.
The revised draft Tokai Cecilia implementation plan (Revised Draft TCIP) will shape a strategic performance plan that will determine how SANParks and its “stakeholders“ manage the Tokai and Cecilia areas over the next five years.
The revised draft claims to incorporate issues raised during the public-participation process in May of 2021 and be informed by the outcome of follow-up consultations with various stakeholders from August 2021 to January last year.
The revision abandons the grouping of stakeholders’ proposals into projects and programmes in favour of 12 “outcome goals”, which are defined by a vision, objectives and strategic actions to be achieved over five years.
The outcome goals include execution of the Tokai Manor precinct plan; upgrading the Tokai braai site; upgrading the Tokai Arboretum; shade and planted landscapes; safety and security; environmental education and interpretation; fire management; invasive-species management; rehabilitation of biodiversity and ecosystem services; Tokai and Cecilia recreational activities and events; Tokai and Cecilia heritage; and communication.
The document proposes developing a programme of work describing how best to perform and fund all the actions. That should take about five months, it says, and afterwards, each programme of work will be included in the management plan and operations of Table Mountain National Park as “lower level plans”.
In a Facebook post, environmental non-profit organisation Parkscape said a preliminary reading of the revised draft suggested it sought to embrace inclusivity for a holistic outcome.
“It appears to be a document that reveals careful listening and hearing of complex stakeholder and urban observations, needs and realities. As such, it appears to engage with the fundamentals of the founding principles of the park.
“In a complex and contested space, finding a holistic and inclusive outcome is not easy unless one is willing to look at the big picture and embrace visionary thinking,” the organisation said.
However, Parkscape founder Nicky Schmidt said a more in-depth reading of the 100-page document raised a number of concerns, particularly a lack of clarity on the future of Lower Tokai and Cecilia.
“We will be seeking clarity from SANParks,” Ms Schmidt said.
Both the plan and the template document that must be used to comment on it are available on the SANParks website. Comments should be emailed to TCMF@sanparks.org.
