Capricorn FM News reports that the African People’s Convention The African People’s Convention, joined community members and the Manyeleti Youth Forum in Bushbuckridge, have handed over a memorandum to the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, outlining their complaints about jobs at Manyaleti Game Reserve and a trust fund. The APC says the community’s efforts to engage with management at Manyeleti Game Reserve in 2019 and in 2020 through memorandums were unsuccessful, which prompted them to engage in a march on Monday.
Nature Makhubela, who speaks on behalf of communities, says they discovered that the game reserve is supposed to have more than 80 employees, but only has 40, so they are demanding that the game reserve create more jobs. Makhubela has also expressed concern over the damaged security fence at the game reserve, saying its hazardous to community members and livestock, and they want it fixed as soon as possible.
Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency’s acting CEO Mduduzi Vilakazi says he is not aware of any previous memorandums. He says however Manyeleti Game Reserve has not been running optimally since the Covid-19 pandemic, and they are starting to pick up this year. He says 62 job positions are available but they do not have a budget to fill all the positions. Vilakazi says a section of the fence surrounding the game reserve was washed away by the heavy rains they experienced in February this year.