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Drakensberg camp closed
18/03/2008 08:06 - (SA)
Stephanie Saville and Sapa
Pietermaritzburg - Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) on Monday closed its Didima Camp following tension between two communities along the route to the camp.
EKZNW said in a statement the camp would be closed immediately and stay closed over the Easter weekend.
It would reopen on March 26.
Tensions in the Cathedral Peak area appear to have heightened over the weekend, with police reporting that at least 20 houses were burnt down and two people injured in a gunfight between two communities there.
The dispute between the two communities started in 1989 and has resulted in five deaths in the past month.
Community leaders in the Magangangozi area claim they have permission to build new houses along the Cathedral Peak boundary line, but leaders from the Mhlwazini are disputing this.
'Huge' police presence
Police spokesperson Charmaine Struwig said police were monitoring the situation closely.
"We have a huge police presence, not only at the scene, but also on tourist routes," she said.
Craig Walker, general manager of the Cathedral Peak Hotel, told The Witness that they were fully booked for the Easter weekend and that they had received no cancellations yet.
The Automobile Association's Gary Ronald said that a warning notice had been placed on their website to alert holiday makers to Cathedral Peak of the tensions in the area.
"Although these communities have indicated that they have no interest in the tourists who use the route, we are nevertheless concerned that the ongoing tension might involve tourists moving along the road through the community area," said Khulani Mkhize, EKZNW CEO. Safety first
"The safety of our visitors is not negotiable and closing Didima at this time is purely a precautionary measure in case there is an escalation of violence that could spill over into the park," he added.
"Our reservations staff are contacting people who have confirmed bookings at Didima during the affected period and we are doing our utmost to place these folk in alternative accommodation," said Mkhize.
"This conflict comes at one of our busiest times when most of our accommodation facilities are fully booked, so closing the Didima camp is not going to be a popular decision," added Mkhize.
"We have a responsibility to our guests and we will do our best to ensure their safety while trying to ensure that their holidays are not spoilt by this dispute," he added.
The area which is affected is the Winterton/Bergville - Cathedral Peak road, which is the route to Cathedral Peak, part of the Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site.
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