Metro nature reserves remain shut amid level shift
Mashigo also admitted the metro had seen a loss of revenue where their facilities charged entrance fees.
Multiple nature reserves manned by the Tshwane metro were expected to remain closed indefinitely despite government’s announcement that they could reopen for the public for certain activities.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo explained reserves would remain closed as Covid-19 regulations and requirements still needed to be implemented at the various nature reserves.
Mashigo explained that additional issues which had to be resolved for the reserves to be reopened included those related to security, the process of staff being recalled from home and locked ablution facilities as they formed part of resort facilities or those which were still closed.
However, he reassured the reserves were most likely to reopen once ‘all requirements for Covid-19 are met’, adding a reasonable number of staff complement would have to be in place.
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Mashigo also admitted the metro had seen a loss of revenue where their facilities charged entrance fees. Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Friends of Faerie Glen Nature Reserve, Louise Kritzinger said only hiking and exercise (but not in groups and only between 06:00 and 18:00) would be allowed.
Friends of Faerie Glen Nature Reserve is a volunteer organisation affiliated with the reserve.
“No group activities will be allowed whatsoever,” she said.
Kritzinger added her organisation and its members looked forward to the reopening of the reserve and that they would assist the metro where necessary to ensure it was reopened soon. Although the metro?s nature reserves were yet to reopen their doors to the public, multiple other game and nature reserves opened at the beginning of the week following tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane’s announcement that they could do so for hiking and self-game drive purposes.
Dinokeng Game Reserve general manager David Boshoff said they were more than ready to welcome the public earlier this week after they had been hard at work for over a month to ensure adherence to Covid-19 protocols.
“We really urge visitors to adhere to the protocols we have put in place for the safety of our staff and their own,” he said, adding that government regulations also remained in place at all times.
Boshoff further said that while their picnic sites remained closed, ablution facilities were open and manned by staff for when they needed them while they were on their self-drive game drives on the 19 000 hectares of land.
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Some of the areas she said would be opened up included professional services such as tourist guides; tour operators; travel agents; tourism information officers being permitted to return to operation, the resumption of accommodation activities except for leisure and hunting.
Activities which remained prohibited were conferences, events, entertainment activities, casinos and travel for leisurely purposes.
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