National Parks Board CE Robbie Robinson has chosen to retire on a matter that could split the board, reports Anita Allen
The imminent departure of Dr Robbie Robinson as chief executive means that the 17-member National Parks Board is going to be put to the test. Not only does it have to choose a successor when there is no recognisable crown prince, but Robinson’s request for early retirement on a matter of principle has ensured the whole issue will be played out in public.
In an interview with the Mail & Guardian this week Robinson insisted that despite his every effort, he appeared to be the only opponent to the appointment of a commercial director, answerable to him.
“As envisaged, this would effectively split commercial and conservation functions throughout the organisation, which would create divisions. It’s been tried before and it doesn’t work in terms of my philosophy of national parks. After much soul-searching I decided I had no option but to request early retirement,” Robinson said.
He believes he exhausted all avenues open to him and by retiring he has done the right thing for the organisation he has served for 31 years. Sources close to the board this week said Robinson’s request for retirement came as a surprise to everyone.
“I’m not a politician,” said Robinson. “I don’t choose words for political agendas. I’m basically trained in natural science. I believe I’m a competent national parks manager and that’s what I do. I realised the board as an organisation can make a lot more money long ago. In the last three years we’ve shown tremendous increases in profitability.
“Basically 1995/96 was an all-time record, with the business unit making a R35-million net profit. This year, we hope for something in excess of a R42-million net profit.
“On a global scale there isn’t any national park organisation that gets even close to us. We are now generating 80% of total budget. Second to us is New Zealand with 20%.”
While there was always room for improvement, Robinson said he was happy with the present policy of integrating functions within the organisation where all officials were responsible for generating funds, and drew up strategic plans monitored by the finance department. In addition, the board had a sub-committee tasked with making the organisation more profitable.
The issue of commercialisation was not new, Robinson emphasised, it had been the subject of many workshops. Already various activities had been outsourced and privatised and others were constantly being identified so as to develop entrepreneurial opportunities.
The crunch point in discussions about restructuring for Robinson came when the finance committee, despite his total opposition, recommended to the board that it appoint a new director of a commercial arm.
“I was told we are going to divide the organisation in terms of two activities – commercial and conservation. I was being asked to do something that runs against my whole career. I joined the organisation as an outsider because I believed that a national park has to have a park warden and during the 31 years in the organisation I always maintained that my park wardens represented me in each one of the parks.
“Now I was being asked to think about splitting the organisation and to get my senior staff on board. I belaboured this thing and agonised. Imagine, all the commercial people would report to the new director and not in terms of the line management functions we had set up. I’m prepared to outsource and privatise certain functions, but I don’t want a director telling all my other directors what to do. It has been tried in so many organisations. Namibia tried it and now they have to privatise completely, we tried it in the 1970s, so did the Natal Parks Board.
“If you privatise something in the middle of a national park you annihilate the reason why that area was set out. You want peace and serenity, to observe nature in an unspoiled and unpolluted state. Everything in a national park must be developed in terms of facilitating this appreciation of nature and all employees must subscribe to this.”
When announcing that it had agreed to Robinson’s request for early retirement, the National Parks Board said he was the initiator of transformation and left a solid infrastructure to take the board into the next phase, which was to eliminate discrimination, create career opportunities and link conservation and development with material benefits for surrounding communities bordering on parks.
“The board intends accelerating this, but reaffirms that conservation of biodiversity is sacrosanct,” its statement said.
Applications for Robinson’s job close next week and three applications have been received so far. Topping the list of probables is Rams Rammutla, present director of Operations: North; Dr Anthony Hall-Martin, present director of research and development, and Dr Salomon Joubert, former warden of Kruger Park.