Note to Broadcaster: Please find attached the English and Afrikaans soundbites by Jóhni Steenkamp.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the North West is calling urgent attention to the worsening condition of the province’s nature reserves. These spaces should be places of preservation, recreation, and economic opportunity — yet many have fallen into serious neglect.
Recent assessments across reserves in North West reveal a pattern of decay that can no longer be ignored.
Visitors and communities are increasingly confronted with facilities and environments that are simply not fit for purpose.
- Infrastructure is collapsing or unsafe.
- Ablution blocks are broken or unusable.
- Vandalised or stolen equipment has been left unreplaced.
- Overgrown roads, campsites, and hiking trails.
- Fencing failures that put wildlife and visitors at risk.
- Almost no security presence, and
- booking systems that often fail completely.
These failures undermine conservation efforts, drive tourists away, and erode the economic activity that communities around the reserves depend on.
National parks managed by SANParks remain well-maintained, professionally run, and consistently upgraded. The gulf between those parks and the North West’s provincial reserves grows wider each year. We cannot simply attribute the decline to circumstance — it reflects a collapse in management and oversight.
Just a few weeks ago, the MEC of the Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT), Bitsa Lenkopane, proudly announced an injection of R400 million into the North West Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB). This commitment instilled optimism that the long-neglected infrastructure and basic services would finally be addressed.
Yet, barely weeks after this announcement, the same MEC signed off on outrageous tariff hikes exceeding 1 500%, placing further pressure on visitors, local tourism businesses, and surrounding communities.
The state of the reserves points directly to more profound problems within the NWPTB. Years of poor planning, weak financial controls, and the absence of long-term infrastructure management have brought these parks to the point of collapse.
The DA has submitted written questions to Lenkopane, asking for full details on maintenance budgets, operational plans, and the decisions that have led to this crisis. The DA also sent a letter to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, urging them to urgently summon Lenkopane to answer for the governance shortcomings at NWPTB.
The DA calls on the MEC and NWPTB to present a clear infrastructure and maintenance recovery plan, provide transparency on budget allocation and spending, involve communities, experts, and tourism operators in the restoration process, and put strong accountability measures in place to stop further decline.
The DA will continue fighting for action, transparency, and the restoration of the province’s parks.