Deputy Minister Narend Singh: WWF South Africa’s 57th Annual General Meeting

Chairperson of the WWF Board, Mr Valli Moosa,
Members of the WWF South Africa family, 
Partners in conservation,  
Distinguished guests, 
Ladies and gentlemen,  

Good morning,

It is a profound privilege to stand before you today—not merely to reflect on our shared achievements, but to ignite a bold vision for the future of our people and our planet.  

The World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) has been a driving force in expanding our nation’s protected areas through visionary partnerships, innovative financing, direct land acquisition, and an unwavering commitment to community-based biodiversity stewardship.  

Just a few days ago, I was reminded once again of your long-standing legacy by my Head of Office who lead a delegation to India and visited Ranthambore National Park in the Province of Rajastan. And there, on a wall at the entrance, he found a 1975 WWF logo.

Evincing that your international footprint is indeed, deep, historic, and inspirational.

WWF has played a pivotal role in expanding seven iconic national parks—from the wildflower splendour of Namaqua to the elephant heartlands of Addo, the vast silences of the Karoo, the coastal jewels of Agulhas, the diamond-rich plains of Mokala, the majestic heights of Table Mountain, and the legendary wilderness of Kruger.  

Today, WWF stands as a strategic partner in birthing the proposed Grassland National Park in partnership with the department and its entities is a beacon for one of the world’s most biodiverse and undervalued biomes. By prioritising these under-protected grasslands, critical water factories for our nation, WWF is helping South Africa honour the 30x30 global target with ecological integrity and national purpose.  

Since 2018, R38.1 million has been mobilised through WWF-SA, the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, and the National Parks Trust of South Africa to launch this transformative project—funding SANParks’ dedicated team and laying the foundation for a new era of conservation. This is indeed a remarkable investment that is already shaping the future of conservation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

South Africa’s lifeblood—our economy, water security, food systems, and protected areas—flows from just 8% of our land, our Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs). Together with 2% in Lesotho and eSwatini, these areas deliver 50% of our water, sustain half our population, power 70% of irrigated agriculture, and underpin two-thirds of our GDP.  

These are not just landscapes—they are national assets of existential importance. We must shield them from over-exploitation, degradation, and pollution through innovation, collaboration, and unrelenting collective will.  

From its inception, WWF has been indispensable in securing these vital areas:  
- Raising awareness through the iconic Journey of Water Campaign,  
- Generating cutting-edge research to guide policy,  
- Crafting a national framework and implementation guidelines for SWSA protection.  

But a framework is only a blueprint. The time for action is now. We must move with precision and purpose—defining targeted, outcome-driven interventions for every SWSA.  

On the ground, WWF has catalysed collaborative platforms that embody the whole-of-society approach:  

• The Boland Groot Winterhoek Collective,  
• The Table Mountain SWSA Partnership,  
• The Outeniqua to Tsitsikamma Collective.  

Our vision? Every SWSA must be governed by such a collective—uniting communities, governments, and stakeholders to protect not just nature, but the 32 million South Africans who depend on these water towers.  

Recently, ahead of participating in the World Biosphere Conference in Hangzhou - representing South Africa, my team briefed me about the K2C (Kruger to Canyons) Biosphere. I had not been there myself, so I made arrangements to visit. It was inspiring but also deeply worrying — the water quality has been compromised so severely by illegal mining that communities cannot drink the water and agricultural activity is under threat. This is a space where WWF and SANParks, together with government, can make a profound difference.

WWF’s on-the-ground impact is equally profound: empowering communities, restoring ecosystems, and fuelling local economies. We salute your spirit of partnership—with government, communities, NGOs, and the private sector.  

Yet the horizon demands more. As we look ahead, we urge you to:  

• Reinvigorate public awareness,  
• Upscale restoration,  
• Expand and sustain stewardship areas,  
• Broaden community initiatives,  
• Pioneer sustainable financing models to secure long-term investment in these life-support systems.  

Chairperson,
South Africa is aligning its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, embedding biodiversity at the heart of sustainable development. This demands a whole-of-government, whole-of-society effort—a shared national mission.  

Conservation without people is hollow. True success hinges on inclusive, transformative biodiversity management—where local communities are not just beneficiaries, but co-architects and custodians.  

This point was brought home to me very strongly when just this week. I attended the World Tribal Alliance gathering, which brought together traditional leaders from 15 countries. Their indigenous knowledge is remarkable — and too often exploited. At COP16 in Colombia, we cemented the Cali Call for Action to protect Indigenous Knowledge holders and ensure they benefit economically from the remedies, medicines, and innovations derived from their heritage

It is in this spirit that I call on the WWF to:  
- Champion community-based natural resource management and co-management agreements,  
- Drive skills development, enterprise creation, and market access for youth and women,  
- Strengthen access and benefit-sharing so communities thrive from biodiversity-based economies.  

These priorities are enshrined in the revised National Biodiversity Economy Strategy—crafted with WWF’s active leadership, including your sponsorship of a transformative cross-cutting goal:

“Secure and enhance ecological infrastructure across ecosystems essential for South Africa’s economy through cross-sectoral coordination, leveraging additional investment and market support critical to rural and informal economies.”

This strategy unlocks sustainable opportunities in ecotourism, wildlife, biotrade, bioprospecting, and marine resources—positioning biodiversity as a dual engine for conservation and inclusive growth.  

As you know, mobilisation of investment is central. Those of us who have served as Ministers know that environmental budgets rarely receive the lion’s share — housing, crime prevention, education, health all compete in a constrained fiscal environment. Without partnerships like those with WWF, scaling our conservation goals would be near impossible.

I urge WWF to:  

• Embed biodiversity economy principles in every conservation programme,  
• Create jobs, livelihoods, and equitable benefits aligned with national priorities: inclusive growth, job creation, poverty reduction,  
• Expand protected areas through stewardship and community partnerships,  
• Empower women, youth, and traditional leaders as entrepreneurs and custodians,  
• Mobilise investment and innovation for nature-based enterprises with ecological and social returns.  

Ladies and gentlemen,

Turning to another area of serious concern for us is transnational wildlife crime and trafficking. This is not just an environmental crisis—it is an assault on our rule of law, security, economy, and biodiverse tourism sector. Criminal syndicates embed themselves in communities, diversify their operations, and exploit corruption and porous borders to traffic high-value species.  

I am informed that the first fight against succulent poaching is supported by WWF. You have provided dedicated personal to assist in this area, and for that we are grateful.

These syndicates are not only involved in poaching — they are also involved in drugs, human trafficking, and other criminal economies. These are mafia-type networks embedded across society.

Our response? The National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT)—Cabinet-approved in 2023 and now in its second year of implementation. Its mission:  

Empower law enforcement to detect, prevent, and dismantle wildlife trafficking—at home and abroad.  

This whole-of-government effort unites:  

• DFFE, SAPS, SANParks, and your organisation,
• Border Management Authority, SARS,  
• Financial Intelligence Centre, State Security, DIRCO, and the NPA.  

But government cannot win alone. WWF’s partnership has been invaluable—building capacity, equipping rangers, training inspectors and prosecutors, and raising awareness.  
We look to you to align with the NISCWT’s strategic vision, deepen collaboration, and help turn the tide against this scourge.  

Under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, we secured the Cape Town Declaration on Crimes that Affect the Environment—a global call to action against wildlife trafficking, illegal mining, deforestation, and waste crime. South Africa will now lead technical workshops to share best practices and forge stronger international cooperation.  

Negotiations were not easy. Certain countries still deny climate change or resist environmental agreements, but we succeeded in securing unanimous support for two declarations — one on air quality, and the other on crimes that affect the environment.

WWF’s voice and expertise will be critical in these global efforts.  

In conclusion,
We stand at a crossroads. The choices we make today will determine whether future generations inherit a thriving, water-secure, biodiverse South Africa—or a diminished one.  

Our cause is just and we must endure, and with WWF as our steadfast partner, I am confident we will choose the path of courage, collaboration, and transformation.

Your fingerprints are felt across the globe — and here at home, you continue to help us fulfil Section 24 of our Constitution: to secure an environment that is not harmful for present and future generations. We cannot do this work without partners like you.

I Thank you.

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