Mokala National park proclaimed
21 June 2007
The Northern Cape has yet another fantastic natural asset to offer tourists with the opening of the conveniently situated Mokala National Park just off the N12 near Kimberley. |
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The minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Martinus van Schalkwyk, officially opened the 22nd National Park on Tuesday 19 June near Plooysberg south west of Kimberley. The establishment of this new park came as a result of a successful land claim made on a section of the old Vaalbos National Park by the Sidney on Vaal claimants. The official proclamation follows months of preparation involving translocation of 863 wildlife, a stakeholder participation process to name the new park as well as the establishment of facilities.
"We take pride in this new park that will not only replace Vaalbos, but will add to the treasured national park system of our country. We are also pleased that the local community was involved in the establishment of the new park, and also take ownership in its development", says Minister van Schalkwyk.
Mokala National Park boasts 19 611 ha and is home to endangered species such as Black Rhino, Tsessebe, Roan antelope, White Rhino, Black Wildebeest. Current facilities include two lodges; a restaurant, conferencing, a soon to be established camping area as well as a private landing strip. Activities in the park will include guided game drives; bush braais, Bushman rock art painting and engraving excursions and team building workshops. Guided horse trails will also be introduced soon.
Dr David Mabunda, Chief Executive of SANParks said, “Future growth prospects through contractual land acquisitions will see the park growing to some 50 000 ha in the next five years. Currently the park is very limited in self catering units and this will be our priority to enable us to cater for the traditional SANParks guest.”
Mr PW Saaiman, MEC for Economic Affairs, Tourism, Environment & Conservation, Northern Cape said that the adding the new National Park, the fifth in the Northern Cape, went a long way to the province achieving its 6.5% that it wants set aside for conservation.
Important vegetation areas which occur in the park are the Kalahari Thornveld and the Vaalbos Rocky Shrubland which forms part of the Savanna biome, as well as the Northern Upper Karoo which is part of the Nama Karoo Biome on the northern border. "One of the conservation objectives of the park is to conserve the interface of the two biomes. In line with our mandate, the biomes will be preserved and should serve as permanent reference areas for wider exploration surveys in the Northern Cape region," explained Mabunda.
