South Africa is unique in what it offers visitors - and we all have to be part of preserving that heritage.
The reopening of repaired sections of Kruger National Park offers hope after devastating flood damage earlier this year. Picture: Supplied
We understand the emotion from the Kruger National Park faithful this week as they saw this national icon getting back on its feet after the devastation of the floods earlier this year.
For Pieter Smit, standing on the Letaba high-level bridge, it was emotional to see the recovery.
“We saw the damage on the news,” he said. “To stand here, see the water flowing underneath, and watch this bridge standing strong… it gives you hope.”
And that, more than anything, sums up the relationship many South Africans have with a place which is truly one of the most amazing natural wonders in the world.
Some families have been going there for generations and many memories have been conjured up in that Lowveld air.
That’s why people feel so possessive, so irritated by what they see as slow service or deterioration of the standards in facilities and in rest camps.
This week, as SA National Parks (SANParks) opened its reserves to locals for free, Kruger’s fans could see the progress made in repairing the damage.
Bridges have been fixed, culverts have been repaired – and improved to make them better able to cope with future floods – and the opportunity has been taken to update some of the tired, older accommodation units.
All South Africans – and not just Kruger regulars – can be proud of the fact that, when we put our minds to it, we can fix what is broken.
And, we can take some comfort in the fact that SANParks – and possibly even some in the upper echelons of government – realise that places like Kruger must be preserved, because they drive tourism, which is the renewable gift which keeps on giving to our economy.
South Africa is unique in what it offers visitors – and we all have to be part of preserving that heritage.
