MMCs visit Kliprivier Nature Reserve and its wonders

Ward 125 Clr Matsobane Sekhu believes his ward could be one of the leading tourism destinations in Johannesburg if it could harness its potential.

The unearthed tourism gem in the form of Kliprivier Nature Reserve and the Khoisan cultural location in Portion 80 of Eikenhof needs urgent attention to reach their full potential.

He said this on August 11 when he hosted two MMCs from the Joburg Council. Belinda Echeozonjoku, the MMC for Development Planning and MMC Ronald Harris for Community Development attended a meeting with the Khoisan community and the Klipriviersberg Sustainability Association (KlipSA) leadership in the ward.

The MMCs were blown away by what they saw when they toured the Kliprivier Nature Reserve and Khoisan Cultural Village.

They have admitted that they never thought that such a beautiful and serene environment still exists in Johannesburg. Harris promised that he will do everything in his power during his tenure to make sure that these areas reach their potential goals to uplift the immediate communities as they are a caring city.

He said the time for talk shops is over as the residents of Joburg City are expecting a lot from the current multi-party government. He also said Ward 125 residents are lucky to have such hands-on and committed Sekhu.

The Khoisan community, represented by their traditional leader Chief Johannes Goliath, said they are delighted that their cultural village is finally receiving the attention they have been looking for more than 20 years.

Goliath also mentioned that a more than one hundred years old village meets a category of being turned into a heritage site and eventually a cultural and tourism destination in the south.

He said his late brother, Chief Adam Mathysen, would be happy to see these engagements as he laid a good foundation for his community development. It is reported that these are the remnants of Joburg’s first settlement of the Khoisan people.

The Eikenhof Khoisan Farm, portion 80, has been occupied by Khoisan people since the mid-1890s. There are other interesting elements to the site that includes stone age artefacts, early traces of gold mining exploration, the battleground for control of Joburg in 1900 and a wetland.

Sekhu was also elated with the talks and said the initiative will develop the area into one of the economic hubs in the South of Johannesburg. He said, if implemented, it will eradicate poverty and high unemployment levels in the area and will also create opportunities for business people.

This is one of the projects that Sekhu is looking into, not just for economic purposes but also for elevating the image of the area in general. The ward has lots of open space which is problematic as they harbour criminals, illegal dumping, infrastructure vandalism and theft.

“It’s about turning a negative into a positive for the benefit of the community,” he said.

KlipSA leader Andrew Barker said they need a buy-in from the council to turn the area into one of the tourism household brands in the country and abroad.

According to Barker, the area is rich in natural resources, varying from the beautifully wooded Klipriviersberg range of hills to grasslands and wetlands and prolific bird life along the Klip River, a tributary of the Vaal.