Mogale City City Local Municipality (MCLM) recently announced its plans to revive the Krugersdorp Game Reserve (KGR) by requisite internal and regulatory processes to issue a public Call for Proposals for the refurbishment, expansion, financing, operation, and management of the reserve.

However, despite the plans to revive the game reserve, questions have been raised by the municipal council members as to how far the plans will go in this attempt to restore the destination to its former glory.

According to MCLM’s senior communications practitioner, Tendani Shavani, the municipality has partnered with the Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency (GIFA) to accelerate the sourcing of a suitable private-sector partner and to develop a sustainable operational model that ensures long-term growth, financial viability, and tangible benefits for both the community and the tourism sector. Despite these plans being proposed by the municipality, questions regarding conservation, biodiversity of the reserve and overall safety have been raised by members of the municipal council.

• Also read: Mogale City seeks private partner to rebuild Krugersdorp Game Reserve

According to Mogale City councillor Lourens Gouws, independent oversights were done by the VF Plus to uncover the state of the game reserve, and following their oversight, it was concluded that there were several issues that needed to be resolved due to the neglect of the game reserve.

“The game reserve has been closed for over a decade. As a result of this neglect, many parts of the reserve have been left dilapidated and collapsing. Areas of concern that need to be given the most attention are safety regarding the animals and the workers on the premises. There needs to be more security measures, such as surveillance cameras and new security fences. The main areas of attraction, such as restaurants and swimming pools, have crumbled,” Gouws said.

Gouws also emphasised that the lack of action to resolve the issues has put a great strain on the conservation and biodiversity of the game reserve. He said there is a wide variety of animals on the premises that lack access to food and have been impacted by illegal hunting and poaching. Snares and traps have been found alongside animal caucuses and expressed that all of this could have been prevented if measures were put in place by the municipality instead of the reserve being neglected.

• Also read: What’s going on at the Krugersdorp Game Reserve?

The Krugersdorp News received reports that on November 9, some of the lions at the reserve were moved. This comes after rumours of the animals not being fed and looked after, in addition to other illegal activities such as illegal mining. When asked about this, MCLM could not give a reply at the time of publication.

The Biodiversity Management Division under the Department of Integrated Environmental Management reported in 2022 that the reserve had 15 lions. Ten of them were removed by the Gauteng Nature Conservation, and five remain at the reserve. They also said that the lion enclosure was currently being upgraded.

Moreover, MCLM Alderman Tyrone Gray expressed that Mogale City has had no sense of urgency, as this allowed the conditions on the premises to worsen over the years.

“The idleness has resulted in facilities, which could have been opened years ago, remaining closed for immediate compliance with council resolutions and an acceleration of public-private partnerships (PPP) regarding the reserve,” Gray said.

• Also read: Krugersdorp Game Reserve: Are they still operational? – The News has the answers

It was announced by MCLM Executive Mayor Lucky Sele in June that the KGR received treasury approval for commercialisation, with plans underway to reopen it under a sustainable, tourism-focused model; however, the time frame was not given as to when it will reopen. It was confirmed by the municipality recently that, in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, MCLM is empowered to exercise control over the reserve, designated as a protected area.

“Due to competing service delivery priorities, the municipality currently lacks the financial and technical capacity required to refurbish, develop, and operate the reserve to its full potential. Consequently, the municipality seeks to engage in a PPP with a suitably qualified and experienced hospitality, tourism, hotel or recreational facility operator. The intended partnership will involve the design, refurbishment, construction, expansion, financing, operation, and maintenance of the KGR,” MCLM stated in a recent press release.

In addition to the plans, it was confirmed that a comprehensive feasibility study conducted by GIFA demonstrated significant potential and proposed viable funding solutions for the project. The study also confirmed that South Africa enjoys global recognition for its strength in adventure, nature, wildlife, and responsible tourism. With several operational game reserves nationwide, competitiveness depends on the quality, uniqueness, and diversity of offerings. Accordingly, revitalising the reserve and positioning it as a premier nature-based tourism destination, integrated with adventure and eco-tourism experiences, is expected to attract greater numbers of local and international visitors.

MCLM added that, given the scale and importance of the project, prospective bidders are advised of the following key details and compliance requirements to apply if they have an interest in collaborating with the municipality to revive the game reserve:

• Closing date: January 22 at 11:00
• Compulsory briefing and site visit sessions will be held on Friday, November 21, at 10:00, on Rustenburg Road, Waterval. No virtual compulsory briefing and compulsory site visit sessions will be available.
• For bidding procedure enquiries, you can email scmenquiries@mogalecity.gov.za
• For technical enquiries, send an email to tourism@mogalecity.gov.za and/ or i.salagae@gifa.co.za
• The venue of the bid box will be situated at the reception desk of the Supply Chain Management Unit, situated on the upper level of the west wing of the MCLM Civic Centre at the corner of Commissioner and Market Street, Krugersdorp CBD.

“Guided by its vision to transform the reserve into a sustainable tourism asset that drives socio-economic development, creates employment opportunities, and enhances the city’s tourism appeal while generating long-term income, the municipality is confident that the appointment of a capable private partner will bring this vision to life,” MCLM’s statement concluded.