The South African National Parks (SANParks) has taken a precautionary decision not to allow day visitors into the Kruger National Park due to persistent and heavy rainfall affecting the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.
Earlier this week, the park was faced with a challenging situation in which several day visitors were unable to exit the park after a bridge at Crocodile Bridge Gate was covered by water because of rising river levels.
“While all affected visitors were safely managed, the incident highlighted the risks posed by the ongoing weather conditions.
“SANParks is mindful of the current strain on operational and emergency responses on resources during this period of persistent rainfall. As such, the organisation would prefer to focus available resources on real emergencies and ensuring the safety of guests, staff, and surrounding communities, rather than avoidable incidents linked to non-essential travel within the park,” the park said on Thursday.
The decision to restrict day visitor access is a preventative safety measure and will be reviewed continuously as weather and road conditions change.
“SANParks sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused by the persisting rainfall and appreciates the understanding and cooperation of the public during this time. The safety of all visitors and staff remains our highest priority.
“In the meantime, Letaba Rest Camp is busy evacuating both staff and guests as the water has moved into the rest camp, breaking from the Letaba River. Phalaborwa Gate will also close for at least 24 hours – as we monitor the situation closely. This means at the moment there is no access into the northern parts of the park,” SANParks said.
Further updates will be communicated as the situation evolves. -SAnews.gov.za
