Londolozi Private Game Reserve is part of the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, situated on the western border of the Kruger National Park. Until 1971 it was a hunting farm, Dave and John Varty shifted the focus of the property to ecotourism and photographic safaris. Londolozi is the Zulu word meaning “protector of all living things”.
In May 2019 a proposal was published regarding the establishment of a wild meat abattoir at Londolozi. Please find all the details of the proposal in the following document:
WAPFSA NOTICED SOME INTERESTING SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTARY FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF ESTABLISHING AN ABATTOIR AT LONDOLOZI PRIVATE GAME RESERVE:
“With climate change our rainfall is 200mm less than it was before. This means our carrying capacity has dropped considerably, we have been forced to reduce hippo and impala. All this meat was processed by the Kruger Park abattoir which is close to Skukuza. I would like to see this abattoir relocated to the Kruger Park western boundary where it can provide necessary protein to the hungry people on the Kruger Park and Sabi Sand western boundary. This will help to combat the subsistence poaching which is rising rapidly in the Kruger at the moment. Tread light. John Varty
“Londolozi shares an unfenced border with the Greater Kruger National Park. Wild animals, including those of the Greater Kruger National Park, move freely across onto the privately-owned Londolozi. The Varty’s enjoy the reward of this free movement. Allowing this abattoir will licence and enable the Varty’s to capture and kill any Greater Kruger animals that tread on the Londolozi property in the name of climate change or any other excuse to privately kill wild animals on their property. Permission for this abattoir will set a dangerous precedent for all the other, and there are many, unfenced private properties that share an unfenced border with the Greater Kruger National Park. ” Johann Rademeyer
“JV – your coffee is cold if you really believe that setting up an abattoir to process impala and hippo meat at Londolozi is a good thing and is needed because of climate change! I have heard a lot of BS in my life, but his sits right near the top. There have been droughts in the Lowveld over the millennia and wildlife has survived these droughts (and anyway you are a mere 2000 hectares in a 3 million hectare open system). What has happened to the Londolozi mantra of being “the protector of ALL living things”. Surely, just surely this contradiction must have registered at some point and caused you to think about what you folks are doing? Sometimes in life we all make cock-ups and his is one of those times. My advice is to front up; own up to the mistake; immediately stop all hunting on Londolozi and permanently cancel any plans for an abattoir. Or is money more important? Tread lightly John, tread lightly indeed.” Colin Bell
The game meat or meat harvested from wild animals is a industry that WAPFSA is following closely. Is the development of proposed abattoir at Londolozi Private Game Reserve going to be funded by the WWF Nedbank Green Trust?
THE WWF Nedbank Green Trust is funding Conservation Outcomes a KwaZulu Natal based non profit organisation focused on biodiversity conservation to develop the game meat protocol and demonstration projects in partnership with game reserves and the retails industry.
“As a bank focused on positively building society, Nedbank regards this as a catalytic project. We are funding it over three years to test and develop the market for wild-sourced game meat in a manner that is consistent with biodiversity conservation” says Yvonne Verrall, Marketing Manager for Nedbank’s Green Affinity.
“We are focusing on extensive private, state and community owned game reserves, including Kruger National Park and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area. In northern KwaZulu Natal we are working with reserves such as Phinda, Somkhanda and Babanango to determine the viability of setting up an abattoir in Phinda in partnership with neighbouring reserves” says Greg Martindale, Director of Conservation Outcomes
MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE HERE:
In response to the proposed abattoir at Londolozi some of the WAPFSA members started a petition:
The petition has subsequently been suspended whilst representative of the EMS Foundation consult with their legal representatives Cullinan and Associates.