Debengeni closed to public
They said that any changes to safety regulations relevant to the public, will be communicated in due course.
Debengeni Waterfall, one of Tzaneen’s primary tourist attractions, is closed to the public until further notice.
Safcol, under who’s management Debengeni falls, said that after “an unfortunate incident that occurred at the Debengeni Waterfall and as management of the eco site, we believed it to be prudent to close the waterfall until all investigations are completed and or any risk and safety report recommendations are implemented.”
They said that any changes to safety regulations relevant to the public, will be communicated in due course.
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“This is to ensure that we do not have any unfortunate incidents like this happening in the future as the safety of tourists is a number one priority for Debengeni’s management.”
A 22-year-old man drowned in one of the pools at the waterfall earlier this year.
Although there is a notice board with a disclaimer warning visitors that using the facilities are at their own risk, an outcry followed the drowning.
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The man jumped into one of the pools to rescue his niece when he drowned.
After the incident, management of the waterfall was critisised on social media on the lack of a life guard at the popular tourist destination.
In another incident, a 17-year-old boy drowned in September 2016 when he and two friends slipped and fell into one of the pools while taking photographs.
The body of the boy was only retrieved by police divers the following day.
