SANParks set for the festive season

With the expected increase in visitors to South African National Parks’ (SANParks) facilities over the festive season, the entity has outlined numerous interventions to keep visitors safe and prevent environmental crimes.

The interventions focus primarily on safety and security interventions, as the festive season tends to be characterised by an increase in criminal activities.

“While varying across national parks and regions due to unique circumstances, all safety and security measures are based on the use of technology, the K9 unit, aerial support, and a partnership model that includes provincial and local authorities, civil society formations, and communities.

“An approach which has proven highly effective recently… [is] joint planning and operations, sharing of intelligence and strengthening of each other’s capacity,” says SANParks.

Success stories recorded include awareness-raising campaigns and community mobilisations, arrests and stringent convictions.

Various interventions will be conducted during the festive season, such as safety campaigns, intense routine patrols, fire safety awareness, water saving and safety initiatives, aerial support (air services) and emergency centre service activations.

As part of the safety and security interventions, the Kruger National Park (KNP) will implement numerous actions through various joint operations with the Cross-Border Management Authority, South African National Defence Force, SAPS and Mbombela Traffic.

Victim support programmes are already in place and KNP is working closely with strategic partners, such as the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation, Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism and Bushbuckridge Municipality’s Tourism and Safety Forum.

SANParks announced the introduction of the Table Mountain National Park Volunteer Safety Services (VSS), which is a partnership with interested and affected civil society organisations to improve response to crime.

“It will operate as a co-ordinated, collaborative and accountable mechanism that ensures civil society’s contributions are embedded in the national park’s overall safety and security strategy and approach.

“It will assist SANParks with a framework for the further and ongoing establishment, governance and operation of joint efforts with civil society in promoting both visitor and park user safety in the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP).

“This effort is intended to streamline innovation and organise the mobilisation of resources and expertise in support of crime prevention. Victim support and organising trauma counselling will also be central to VSS,” SANParks says.

In addition, TMNP has received a commitment of R1.94m for the training of 25 new sea, air and mountain recruits to boost the fight against environmental crime and threats to visitors, while SANParks Honorary Rangers committed over R600 000 for the selection process of recruits.

Infrastructure upgrade

During this period, SANParks is undergoing infrastructure upgrades and visitors have been urged to be patient whenever affected by infrastructure refurbishments at national parks.

SANParks received an additional infrastructure allocation of R700m from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in 2023/2024, which increased the available budget for 2023/2024 to 2025/2026 to R 1.1b.

“In this regard, significant work has commenced and some [upgrades] have even been completed in national parks like the KNP, Addo Elephant National Park and West Coast National Park.

“With specific reference to KNP, reference was made to developments like the refurbished Skukuza Rest Camp rondavels, the Wild Fig Guesthouse, and the implementation of a cashless payment system,” SANParks says. – SAnews.gov.za