For David Holmes and his family, nothing could beat a weekend trip to forests, waterfalls and numerous pools in the Lowveld area.
Big was his surprise when during a recent visit to the well-known Mac-Mac Pools near Graskop, they found that the bigger of the two pools was fenced off and marked with a ‘no entry’ sign.
“It was truly a highlight to cool off in the sparkling pools,” Holmes said.
According to Nokuthula Makaringe, the communication manager of the South African Forestry Company Limited (Safcol), the larger pool at Mac-Mac had been fenced off a few months ago to ensure the safety of visitors.
“At this stage there are no plans to close the smaller pool as it is currently considered a low risk due to its depth,”
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A number of drownings, not only at the Mac-Mac Pools, but at some of the waterfalls near Sabie, have been recorded in the past.
Makaringe said Safcol, as owners of the plantations in the Sabie/Graskop area, are custodians of many of these waterfalls, cascades and water features, such as the whirlpools in rivers, within the Panorama Route. These include Lone Creek Falls, Green Heritage Picnic Site, Maria Shires Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Mac-Mac Falls, Lisbon Falls and Berlin Falls.
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Due to a number of incidents, Safcol also fenced off the Lone Creek and Lisbon falls.
Asked about the use of these water features for religious purposes, Makaringe said they maintain mutual respect for whomever wants to visit these sites.
“Some of these practices are considered private and personal, and, therefore, all visitors are granted access regardless of the reason for visiting.”
To ensure the continuous safety of visitors, visible warning signs and security personnel have been deployed to manage and control inappropriate behaviours during busy times.
The exciting news is that there is a possibility of a co-operation agreement between Safcol and the private sector to develop some of these features.
“We can confirm that Safcol has received unsolicited proposals from various stakeholders. However, as these proposals are still under consideration. We cannot disclose further details at this time,” Makaringe said.
Oupa Pilane, a well-known Lowvelder, tourism entrepreneur and chairperson of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, confirmed that they had made certain proposals to Safcol.
“Currently domestic tourism numbers to Mpumalanga are dwindling and we need to create exciting opportunities to draw more tourists to the province. By developing sites such as the Mac-Mac Pools and the numerous waterfalls, will be to the benefit of the broader communities and businesses in the area.”
