The Association of All Wheel Drive Clubs of Southern Africa (AAWDC) was established in 1996 after having its first inaugural meeting as far back as 1993. The AAWDC was formed under the guidance and efforts of the three major Four Wheel Drive Clubs in South Africa, namely the Four Wheel Drive Club of Southern Africa, the S.A. Jeep Club and the Land Rover Owners Club of Southern Africa. The membership of the AAWDC has grown since its inception to 24 Member Clubs and now represents more than 4 000 individual members. The Member Clubs are spread over all the provinces or regions of South Africa and Swaziland and Botswana.

In terms of its Constitution the AAWDC operates as a non-profit organisation and Member Clubs can become members of the AAWDC, once their Club Constitutions are compatible with the Constitution of the AAWDC. Clubs are charged a nominal fee per annum per individual member to cover the postage and other administrative fees of the AAWDC. One Voice for All� decals are issued on an annual basis to identify individual members of Member Clubs and Member Clubs receive an annual Membership Certificate.

The prime purpose of the AAWDC from its inception was to enroll all the four wheel drive clubs of Southern Africa under one umbrella body to speak with authority because of its member numbers to Government-, Regional- and Conservation bodies to ensure that its members continue to enjoy the controlled use of their off road vehicles in sensitive nature conservation areas. The authorities in turn can negotiate with one body that knows what their members want and can be used by the authorities as an easy way to communicate with a vast amount of four-wheel drive owners.

In terms of the Constitution the main objective of the AAWDC is to promote and support the activities and interests of the affiliated Member Clubs. The ancillary objectives of the AAWDC are:-

To co-ordinate and encourage Clubs to get involved in Civil Defense/Search and Rescue.

In this regard the AAWDC is now well established with the KwaZulu Natal Nature Conservation Services (previously the Natal Parks Board). Numerous liaison meetings for Sodwana Bay and Cape Vidal conservation areas are attended by committee members of the AAWDC and from this information are circulated to member clubs. The annual Global Beach cleaning is now organised very successfully in conjunction with the KZNNCS for the Sodwana Bay to Kosi Bay area on an annual basis and involves the major clubs of the AAWDC.

The AAWDC also organised, through the participation of their Member Clubs, to assist the authorities in the distribution of emergency food, medical and subsistence supplies in the Northern Province in the floods experienced in 2000. This was achieved through the willingness of individual members to provide their privately owned four-wheel drive vehicles in their own time to serve communities that were cut off from normal supplies due to the damage caused to roads and bridges in flood ravaged areas.

The AAWDC has offered a carnet or permit system to the authorities in South Africa and Botswana to enable easier control of off-road vehicle owners. Carnets will only be issued to experienced drivers that have convinced club officials that they are capable of using their vehicles correctly. Carnets are issued by members clubs against a deposit to their members who must declare for which area the carnet will be needed and for how long. The carnet in the shape of a license must be produced to authorities before entering a reserve or a controlled area. Any misdemeanours must be recorded on the carnet by the local authorities. The carnet must be returned to the club after a stipulated period, failing which the driver will lose his deposit. A new carnet will not be issued before the driver returns the old carnet. In this way drivers that misbehave will be either restricted in the future or lose the right to use their vehicles in controlled or sensitive nature areas. A central register will be kept of all carnets issued and a log will be kept on all offences committed by drivers that will be distributed to all clubs. This in time will free society of off-road vehicle owners that cannot behave themselves or cause damage to the environment. The carnet system is not a new concept. This system has been in use for a long time in the United States of America and Canada and has proved to be very successful.

The AAWDC is also actively involved in the grading of new 4X4 trails. It supplies trail owners with guidelines on how to improve trails and conserve the environment by the proper setting out of routes to keep soil and vegetation erosion to a minimum.

We therefore urge all four-wheel drive owners to join a club affiliated to the AAWDC. We request that all clubs join the AAWDC to enable Government and Regional authorities to liaise with one body that looks after the interests of four wheel drive owners.

Clubs or individuals that are interested to join or want more information on the AAWDC, or the Clubs belonging to the AAWDC can forward their requests to:

• The Association of All Wheel Drive Clubs of Southern Africa
  P.O. Box 12566
• HATFIELD,
•  0028
• Fax no. 011 792-8490
• Attention: Neville Marsh