MINUTES of the first meeting held at The Highlander at 6 pm on 31 January 2025
Attendance:
- Members:
Ex officio members of Makana municipality:
Mrs Ntombi Notyeke, Director of Community Services Public Safety;Mr Nxolisi Fulumente, Parks Manager.
Apologies:
Jenny Brand
Welcome:
The members expressed their gratitude to Mrs Notyeke and Mr Fulumente for coming to join the meeting.
Agenda:
The meeting was intended, firstly, as a social gathering for members to meet each other and the ex officio members to meet all of them.
Secondly, two documents were provided to focus attention on the intended aims and objects of the Friends of the Cradock Valley.
1. A map of the extent of the commonage.
Carin Swart provided an arial image of the Cradock Valley on which the extent of the commonage was outlined in blue. (See Appendix 1).
2. Conservation aim and list of projects of the Members of the Cradock Valley
From an email list of suggested projects sent to her by Carin Swart, Glenda Webster provided a list of aims and intended activities of the Friends of the Cradock Valley for circulation and discussion at the meeting. (See Appendix 2).
Various items on the list were discussed, some at length, but few decisions were taken at this stage. In the main, the meeting discussed the following topics:
2.1 The difficulties of controlling and preventing illegal dumping and poaching.
2.2 Eddie Wille described how inflammatory and dangerous dumpsites are in spreading fires. He suggested that the provision of fire-breaks should be added to the list of projects.
2.3 Carin Swart raised the question of whether the Cradock Valley commonage should be registered as a conservancy. It was decided to leave that question until more had been achieved.
2.3 Cary Clarke discussed the importance of a drive to encourage and assist residents of Cradock Heights to clean and maintain the verges in front of their own properties.
2.4 Eddie Wille offered to provide a website for the Friends. The offer was accepted with gratitude and appreciation.
2.5 Glenda Webster raised the question of who should ‘front’ the organisation. She offered to provide administrative services such as writing minutes and providing publicity material. Cary Clarke agreed to approach Garth Cambray to drive the organisation.
2.6 The meeting drew to a close with members discussing the benefits that the inhabitants of Makhanda can derive from the protection and preservation of the Cradock Valley commonage in terms of a recreation, environmental education and tourism.