The New Year saw various occurrences happening, some that were welcome, others not so.
Not so good news
Sadly, I continually get correspondence from residents and visitors about the signs in town. They are very reviling on occasions saying that we “look like a real back end ‘dorp’, and such an ugly town in such a beautiful place”. Wow! We should take cognisance of this and get to grips with it – we are, at the end of the day, the safari hub of South Africa with thousands of tourists coming through our town!
We still have the trucks violating road rules. What I have seen are trucks now coming through town – I am assuming they are averting the badly conditioned R530. We definitely don’t want that! This needs to be monitored closely. We are now also experiencing traffic jams! Who would have thought? We still have water and sewage concerns – when is this going to be sorted out?
Nourish fire
Tragically there was a fire at the Nourish’s Makrepeni Eco Village on the 19th January. In a statement they said:“Nourish regrets to inform the public about a fire that broke out yesterday (Sunday, 19 January) in the office and thrift shop building at the Makrepeni Eco Village. The fire was first noticed by youth from the community who was enjoying the Wi-Fi spot. Thanks to their vigilance and the swift response from our team, the fire was contained, preventing it from spreading further.
We are relieved to report that there were no injuries or loss of life, and we are deeply grateful for this outcome. While the office could not be saved, we remain focused on the safety and well-being of our staff, community members, and volunteers.
At this stage, the cause of the fire remains unclear, and investigations will be conducted over the coming days. We urge everyone to avoid speculation and misinformation as we work to establish the facts.
The Makrepeni Eco Village will remain open, with all projects and programs continuing as usual. For safety reasons, the office and thrift shop area will be cordoned off until investigations are complete, and a clean-up is undertaken.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the members of the Makrepeni community who assisted in extinguishing the fire. Their quick actions and collaboration were instrumental in preventing further damage, and we are deeply appreciative of their support.
We appreciate the understanding and patience of everyone as we navigate this challenging time. Updates will be shared as more information becomes available.”
The good news
The BIG pluses for a new 2025, is that the hospital is now up and running! How fantastic and congratulations to everyone involved – this is a massive step up in our health security and wellbeing. We also have the establishment of the Maruleng Tourist Association! Let’s hold thumbs that this endures, and make sure that we all support this association for everyone’s advantage. A new hotel, Khiwane Boutique Hotel, a fine addition to the town’s accommodation offerings has opened. And I understand that it was a bumper holiday season for our tourism sector. Over the holidays at least we have had some good rain that changed the landscape quite dramatically.
Let’s look forward to a great 2025 for everyone – onwards and upwards!
For donations to Nourish please go to the Nourish website www.nourishecovillage.com for access to the donation portal. To donate in person the offices are in the African Summer Spa building at Raptors Junction. Alternatively for any further enquiries contact Mr Pride Muguti (COO) on 083 772 8773, or email on pride@nourishecovillage.com.
