The fines issued in the Kruger National Park during December amounted to a staggering R331 051.
This includes 269 fines issued for speeding, 26 for National Road Traffic Act violations, and 111 National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act violations.
Speeding in the park has been a contentious issue for some time now. Law-abiding visitors called for stricter action against transgressors.
The spokesperson for the park, Isaac Phaahla, said they had two operations running concurrently over the past festive season, one of which he said reduced the number of accidents the park normally experiences over the festive season.
These two were Operation Mala (movement, access control, location and air space control) and Operation Rolling Thunder (aimed at dealing with speeding and non-adherence to the National Road Traffic Act).
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“These operations were conducted throughout the park north to south at specific times and at specific predetermined spots where violations are likely or are always taking place, such as the Kruger Road to Skukuza Rest Camp.”
Phaahla said the parties involved in these operations were KNP Protection Services Security, traffic departments, SANDF (military police), SAPS and Mpumalanga Provincial Law Enforcement.
According to him, there were only four accidents reported – fewer than usual. He provided further details:
On December 7 at approximately 02:30 at the Phalaborwa Gate, a silver Avanza arrived speeding from the Phalaborwa CBD on the R7 and hit the entrance gate. There were two people in the vehicle, including the driver.
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The driver claimed that he was on his way home and did not know how he had arrived at the gate. The Phalaborwa SAPS attended the scene and no injuries were reported.
On January 1 at approximately 13:00 on the S114 gravel road, a charcoal BMW hit a kudu. The car was badly damaged and the kudu badly injured. There were three people in the vehicle, including the driver, all uninjured. The Skukuza SAPS and traffic officers attended the scene.
That same day at approximately 13:30 on the road between Letaba and Mopani, a charcoal Audi Q3 lost control and hit a mopani tree at the edge of the road. The car was badly damaged. The Skukuza SAPS and traffic officers attended the scene. There were no injuries.
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Lastly, on January 8, at approximately 11:30 on the road between Orpen and Satara, a driver lost control of their red VW Polo and went off the road. The driver could not produce a driver’s licence and was issued a R1 500 fine.
There were four adults and three children in the vehicle. The Hoedspruit SAPS and traffic officers attended the scene, and there were no injuries.
A regular parkgoer, Francois Lubbe, and his wife, Bennita, were the first on the scene where the Polo had crashed. The car had passed them earlier.
The Lubbes are on a 31-day trip in the park and said they had experienced a large number of people speeding. Francois said it was especially the day visitors who ended up being late for the exit gates.
“As regular visitors for the last 30 years, it is very frustrating to see how people speed. You come to the park to enjoy nature and you feel you are in a safe environment. The people speeding are more dangerous than the danger of wild animals we are always warned against.”
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