Kruger National Park faces R700m repair cost

The cost of repairing flood damage at the Kruger National Park has increased to over R500 million and may reach as high as R700 million, according to Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Willie Aucamp.

"I had the opportunity to fly over certain areas of the park to witness the devastation there. I can tell you that it is very, very large. There are several bridges that have been washed away."

Aucamp said SANParks does not have the budget to absorb losses on this scale, forcing the government to reprioritise funds and seek additional support through a disaster declaration. 

A new Kruger Recovery Fund has also been launched to attract public donations, while insurance claims are expected to cover only part of the damage, as much of the park’s infrastructure is underinsured.

"It is a fund for which we got permission from the Treasury to start with, and this fund will be managed by three independent auditing firms to ensure that the money that we get from the donations into this fund will be spent correctly. 

"We are appealing to people out there, people loving Kruger, South Africans, foreigners, to make a contribution, whether it's R10 or a million rand. Every single cent that we can get in can make up for the losses that we've suffered there."

Aucamp warned that costs could rise further as damage assessments continue in areas still underwater. 

He said rebuilding will need to account for climate change, with roads and bridges redesigned to withstand more frequent and intense floods, rather than simply replacing what was destroyed.

"The bottom line of rebuilding Kruger is that some of these bridges that washed away were built in the 60s and the 70s, when we did not face climate change and natural disasters as we do now. So, it would be unwise to go and build, let's say, for example, a bridge in the same way that it was constructed in the past. We must redesign them."

To listen to Aucamp in conversation with CapeTalk's John Maytham, use the audio player below: