BONUS - RUSTENBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the North West is deeply alarmed by the extreme and unjustifiable tariff increases announced by the North West Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB), which are set to take effect on 1 December (today). The DA has analysed the new tariffs across all ten provincial nature reserves, including the Bojanala District, and uncovered increases that simply defy logic.
Vehicle entry at Boskop Dam is set to rise by 1 580%, caravan fees at Borakalalo will jump by 1 475%, children’s entry fees climb by 180%, adult entry fees go up by 332% and day-visitor tariffs at Madikwe rise by 1 370%.
These increases cannot be justified under any financial model, nor do they reflect standard inflationary adjustments.
Increases in the rest of the country are more realistic and reflect a more inflation-driven increase such as a 13.19% increase at Table Mountain and an increase of 10.92% at Augrabies Falls National Park.
Only a few weeks ago, MEC Lenkopane announced a R400 million boost to improve biodiversity management and upgrade infrastructure in protected areas. With such a massive financial injection specifically intended for maintenance and upgrades, it makes absolutely no sense for the NWPTB to pile extreme costs onto the public. You cannot claim to be investing in improving access while simultaneously pricing people out.
If these tariffs are allowed to stand, the damage will be immediate and long-term. Families will be forced to stay away from provincial parks. Small tourism businesses will take an unnecessary knock. Schools will struggle to afford educational outings. Visitor numbers will fall sharply, leading to less revenue, not more. As fewer people visit, the parks risk falling into further neglect.
Therefore, the DA has called on the MEC to put an immediate stop to the new tariffs and provide a clear explanation for how such irrational increases were approved in the first place.
With R400 million already allocated to strengthen biodiversity and protected-area infrastructure, there is simply no excuse to make the public carry the cost through unaffordable tariff hikes.
