New Kruger Park gate not only a dream

The dream of entering the Kruger National Park (KNP) through the new Shangoni Gate, from Muyexe village, might soon be a reality.

According to Cedrick Baloyi, head for local economic development in the Greater Giyani municipality (GGM), the deputy minister of tourism, Fish Mahlalela, recommended that the gate should be located in Muyexe village.

“We are, therefore, expecting it to happen before the end of this financial year if it goes according to plan.”

Baloyi said infrastructure inside the park has already been built to cater for the opening of the gate.

“There is road construction and other infrastructure development underway to support the opening of this gate within the park.

“This gives us confidence that the gate will be built in our municipality at Muyexe village,” he said.

Initially, some traditional leaders in Collins Chabane municipality expressed their desire for the gate to be located in Mtititi village against the wishes of the GGM, which wanted it to be in Muyexe village. After several debates between stakeholders, it was agreed that the gate should be in Muyexe village.

“Since the villages are adjacent to one another, we argued that the gate would benefit both municipalities if it was constructed at Muyexe,” said Baloyi.

A feasibility study also recommended Muyexe as the best place to locate the gate.

Despite this, certain traditional leaders from Collins Chabane municipality were not pleased.

“As a result, the deputy minister of tourism, Fish Mahlalela, ordered Hosi Matshila to arrange talks with the traditional leaders to get them on board.”

In 2011, a 17km buffer zone fence was erected at R9 million to protect the community and their livestock from predators in the park.

Over the years, the lives of the community were in constant threat from wild animals breaking the Kruger Park fence, killing livestock and damaging crops in their fields.

People were losing cattle every week to the predators escaping from the Kruger National Park, consequently depriving the poor community of their only source of livelihood.

Muyexe village, bordering the Kruger Park on the Punda Maria Gate and now the proposed Shangoni Gate, was selected as the first pilot site for the implementation of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme.

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