Latest news with #Safcol
The Citizen
12-05-2025
- The Citizen
One of the Mac-Mac pools closed due to safety concerns
One of the Mac-Mac pools closed due to safety concerns For David Holmes and his family, nothing could beat a weekend trip to forests, waterfalls and numerous pools in the Lowveld area. Big was his surprise when during a recent visit to the well-known Mac-Mac Pools near Graskop, they found that the bigger of the two pools was fenced off and marked with a 'no entry' sign. 'It was truly a highlight to cool off in the sparkling pools,' Holmes said. According to Nokuthula Makaringe, the communication manager of the South African Forestry Company Limited (Safcol), the larger pool at Mac-Mac had been fenced off a few months ago to ensure the safety of visitors. 'At this stage there are no plans to close the smaller pool as it is currently considered a low risk due to its depth,' ALSO READ: Gallery: Lowveld Ramblers hike from Mac Mac Pools to Graskop Hut. A number of drownings, not only at the Mac-Mac Pools, but at some of the waterfalls near Sabie, have been recorded in the past. Makaringe said Safcol, as owners of the plantations in the Sabie/Graskop area, are custodians of many of these waterfalls, cascades and water features, such as the whirlpools in rivers, within the Panorama Route. These include Lone Creek Falls, Green Heritage Picnic Site, Maria Shires Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Mac-Mac Falls, Lisbon Falls and Berlin Falls. ALSO READ: Mac Mac claims two lives in two days Due to a number of incidents, Safcol also fenced off the Lone Creek and Lisbon falls. Asked about the use of these water features for religious purposes, Makaringe said they maintain mutual respect for whomever wants to visit these sites. 'Some of these practices are considered private and personal, and, therefore, all visitors are granted access regardless of the reason for visiting.' To ensure the continuous safety of visitors, visible warning signs and security personnel have been deployed to manage and control inappropriate behaviours during busy times. The exciting news is that there is a possibility of a co-operation agreement between Safcol and the private sector to develop some of these features. 'We can confirm that Safcol has received unsolicited proposals from various stakeholders. However, as these proposals are still under consideration. We cannot disclose further details at this time,' Makaringe said. Oupa Pilane, a well-known Lowvelder, tourism entrepreneur and chairperson of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, confirmed that they had made certain proposals to Safcol. 'Currently domestic tourism numbers to Mpumalanga are dwindling and we need to create exciting opportunities to draw more tourists to the province. By developing sites such as the Mac-Mac Pools and the numerous waterfalls, will be to the benefit of the broader communities and businesses in the area.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
11-05-2025
- The Citizen
No entry: Safety concerns cause closure of 1 of Lowveld's Mac-Mac pools
No entry: Safety concerns cause closure of 1 of Lowveld's Mac-Mac pools For David Holmes and his family, nothing could beat a weekend trip to forests, waterfalls and numerous pools in the Lowveld area. Lowvelder reports that big was his surprise when, during a recent visit to the well-known Mac-Mac Pools near Graskop, they found that the bigger of the two pools was fenced off and marked with a 'no entry' sign. 'It was truly a highlight to cool off in the sparkling pools,' Holmes says. According to Nokuthula Makaringe, the communication manager of the South African Forestry Company Limited (Safcol), the larger pool at Mac-Mac was fenced off a few months ago to ensure visitors' safety. 'At this stage, there are no plans to close the smaller pool as it is currently considered a low risk due to its depth.' Several drownings, not only at the Mac-Mac Pools, but at some of the waterfalls near Sabie, have been recorded in the past. Makaringe says Safcol, as owner of the plantations in the Sabie/Graskop area, is custodian of many of the tourist spots, including waterfalls, cascades and pools, on the Panorama Route. These include Lone Creek Falls, Green Heritage Picnic Site, Maria Shires Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Mac-Mac Falls, Lisbon Falls and Berlin Falls. Due to several incidents, Safcol also fenced off Lone Creek and Lisbon falls. Asked about the use of these bodies of water for religious purposes, Makaringe says they maintain mutual respect for whoever wants to visit the sites. 'Some of these practices are considered private and personal, and, therefore, all visitors are granted access, regardless of the reason for visiting.' To ensure the continuous safety of visitors, visible warning signs and security personnel have been deployed to manage and control inappropriate behaviour during busy times. The exciting news is that there is a possibility of a co-operation agreement between Safcol and the private sector to develop some of these natural attractions. 'We can confirm that Safcol has received unsolicited proposals from various stakeholders. However, as these proposals are still under consideration, we cannot disclose further details at this time,' Makaringe says. Oupa Pilane, a well-known Lowvelder, tourism entrepreneur and chairperson of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, confirmed that proposals had been made to Safcol. 'Currently, domestic tourism numbers to Mpumalanga are dwindling, and we need to create exciting opportunities to draw more tourists to the province. Developing sites such as the Mac-Mac Pools and the numerous waterfalls will be to the benefit of the broader communities and businesses in the area,' he says. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
