She said in her professional opinion, relocation is the only cause of action to be taken to e conserve and protect the ecology and natural resources for the present and future generations.
She stated that the relocation is for the advancement of the socio-economic status of citizens. She said CKGR is a core-protected area, where no degree of hunting is allowed.
Alexander said people in the CKGR had changed their lifestyles and no longer hunt using bows and arrows. She said even the applicant’s expert witness, Arthur Albertson, had noted their sedentary lifestyles and the need for a change of hunting methods.
Albertson had said there was horse-back hunting and use of spears and a tendency for some to kill more game than they need.
Alexander said as core areas, national parks and game reserves, required total preservation.
At this point, lead state counsel, Sidney Pilane, referred Alexander to the rejected recommendations by a fact-finding mission that certain parts of the CKGR be de-gazetted so that they cease to be a game reserve. Alexander reacted by saying that the system would have collapsed and all people in the Kweneng, Kgalagadi and Gantsi District would have suffered if this happened.
She said the Kgalagadi system, for example, has poor nutrients, food and water resources are limited. She said the rainfall is erratic and the area has no permanent surface water. Hence the strategy for survival is to be nomadic in a large area. She said that those who requested to be resettled in Old Xade in the CKGR would have been disastrous for the ecosystem.
She noted that the disturbance factors in the CKGR affected the security of ecology and the socio-economic advancement of the people. She said human and domestic animals disturb the ecology of the reserve.
Alexander listed the disturbance factors as; consumptive use of wildlife resources (legal or illegal), methods used in hunting, competition between humans, domestic animals and wildlife for space, introduction of disease, destruction of trees and trampling of vegetation.
She said other factors are production of crops, increased water demands for human consumption and livestock and pollution.
Alexander said the socio-economic advancement of the human ecology disturbance factors are the requirement that residents will be more nomadic to mitigate ecological impact; and conflicts with human development goals as articulated in Vision 2016 such as to get clean water, electricity, health care, education, permanent buildings among others.
She listed other factors such as privacy from tourists, freedom for children to go to school and live with parents. She said in the game reserves, residents could not benefit from programmes such as ALDEP.
