Forestry is catching on in the Umzimkulu district of southern KwaZulu-Natal, with another community forestry project about to kick off.

Peter Nixon of Rural Forest Management shows stakeholders where the Sihleza community will start planting later this year. The neighbouring Zintwala plantation is visible in the background.

The Sihleza community is poised to establish a 345ha plantation on the hills around their villages. After years of preparatory work, including undertaking an EIA, obtaining a water use permit from the Department of Water Affairs, securing strategic partners and mobilising funding for the project, the excited community is ready to start planting in November or December this year.

SA Forestry magazine attended the first Sihleza Project Steering Committee meeting recently. It was held in a tiny forestry office at the Zintwala community forestry project, which is situated right next door to the Sihleza project. Most of the key stakeholders and partners were present, including members of the Sihleza Development Company, Sappi Forests, Rural Forest Management (RFM) and Rural Forestry Development, the IDC, Umzimkhulu Municipality and the provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism.

Members of the Sihleza community approached RFM in 2003 to assist them in developing their own forestry business. In 2006, Sihleza obtained a planting permit and permission to cultivate the land. However, due to lack of funding, the RFM team of Peter Nixon and Themba Radebe, was unable to take this process forward until some years later when finance was obtained from the IDC to assist with the facilitation phase of the project.

In 2012, RFM applied to the DEDT Gijima Fund, for a R3,2m grant for Sihleza with the IDC and Sappi as loan funding partners, Sappi as an off-take partner, and RFM as the Business Development Consultant. In February 2013, Sihleza’s application was approved, giving the community the green light to go ahead with the project.

Plans are to establish 345ha of eucalyptus on the slopes above the community villages.

The model for the project is similar to that used in both the Umgano (Mabandla community) and Zintwala projects, and involves the establishment of a community trust as custodians of the project and a (Pty) Ltd company to run the forestry operation. In the case of Sihleza, the Community Trust has a majority shareholding in the company, while Sappi and IDC, who have provided loans to the community for the purposes of establishing the plantation, also have shares in the business. These shares provide security for the loans, and the shares will be sold back to the Sihleza Community Trust once the loans have been repaid.

Peter Nixon and Themba Radebe of RFM will provide technical and management support to the Sihleza forestry project. James Ballantyne of RFD provides development support to the community.

A key component of the project throughout has been the support that has come from the community’s traditional leadership, without which such a project is not possible.

The Sihleza Forestry Company will employ community members to do all the forestry work including establishment, maintenance, fire prevention and eventually harvesting. According to Peter Nixon they will be planting eucalyptus, including E. grandis, E. dunnii and G x N. The majority of timber harvested will be sold as pulp to Sappi, and the balance will be for other markets, including transmission poles.

Once harvesting begins, a timber transport company will be contracted to haul the timber from plantation to market. However, Peter is busy negotiating with Transnet Freight Rail in an effort to revive the freight rail service from Donnybrook, which would result in huge savings for the community forestry projects in the district.

The close proximity of the Zintwala forestry project has been an inspiration to the Sihleza community, and some of the community members have gained forestry experience through their involvement in that project.

The Zintwala community operates a 320ha eucalyptus and wattle plantation, which is now in rotation. It was established soon after the Mabandla plantation in 1998, with RFM providing technical and management support.

Like the Mabandla Forestry Project, there are many other exciting projects which have sprung up around the core forestry business, such as a honey project and now, a Land Care project being supported by the Department of Agriculture, where additional members of the Zintwala Community are to be employed to rehabilitate areas of overgrazing and erosion and eradicate alien weeds from within the community area, and to fence off certain areas to control grazing within the community.

A Zintwala village with part of their plantation behind. Forestry is the first business enterprise that this community has become involved in. The plan is that it should provide a springboard for further business and development projects.

Members of the Sihleza Forestry Project Steering Committee are looking forward to establishing their own plantation on the hills above their village. Left to right (back row): Xolani Jikazi, Joseph Cwele, Grattar Mahlaba, Dumile Cwele, Nonzuzo Hlotshane, iNkosi Nombulelo Ngwadla, Ntombekhaya Hlotshana. Left to right (front): Mzingisi Mahlaba and Sibonelo Cwele.

*Published in June 2014