Great benefits, such as being given different kinds of game species by nature conservation authorities, can be derived for private and communal land owners who set aside certain potions of their land for the purpose of biodiversity stewardship.

This was said by the representative of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Mr Mlabubalo Ntsholo, during the fourth biennial conference of Land Care held in Polokwane last week.

Ntsholo was addressing delegates in the workshop on the national grasslands programme on how best to conserve and ensure protection, sustainability and continuation of the ecosystem, which consists of various animal and plant species.

“Should anybody set aside a small portion of land for biodiversity purposes, the government will reward him with certain benefits such as game species, as has been the case in Kwa-Zulu Natal,” he said.

He added that such a biodiversity stewardship, which is a partnership to conserve grasslands, will be backed with sufficient resources to inform, help and support land owners.

He further said certain pressures, such as the overuse of land in areas where there is a high population density, may occur from time to time thus compromising biodiversity processes. Around 90% of land in this country is in private hands but the ongoing government programme of giving 30% of the land back to the black people by 2014 may address this challenge of land shortage, he said.

Another SANBI representative, Mr Mahlodi Tau said: “The grasslands programme works in partnerships in agricultural, forestry, coal mining and urban development sectors in order to secure the biodiversity in the grassland landscapes.”

This country’s 65% grasslands is used for livestock and game grazing, while 23% is cultivated. Limpopo has only 2% of its land surface being grasslands, while large parts of Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Free State are covered by grasslands. - John Phadu