SANParks announces 2013 SA National Parks Week dates

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Mongezi Mtati

SANParks will be launching its 8th annual SA National Parks Week at Mokala National Park from 9-13 September 2013. The concept was established in a bid to cultivate a sense of pride in South Africa's natural, cultural and historical heritage, protected by the national parks system.

SA National Parks Week aims to keep in line with SANParks vision statement of 'Connecting to Society'. Since its inception in 2006, National Parks Week has seen an influx of over 90,000 day visitors in all participating parks.

The week grants free access to most of the 21 national parks for day visitors, especially people from the local communities. It should be noted that free access to parks does not in include free access to accommodation facilities and other tourist activities.

Ensuring the survival of our national parks

"It's the 21st century and national parks cannot continue to be islands within communities, we have to build stronger and wider constituencies for conservation to ensure the survival of our national parks system and our natural and cultural heritage," said Dr. David Mabunda, chief executive of SANParks.

All of the parks managed by SANParks, excluding Namaqua, Boulders and Tankwa Karoo National Park, will be participating in the initiative to give the public an understanding of the role that SANParks plays as custodian of the country's natural heritage. The excluded parks will apply normal entry tariffs, as they have been declared non-participants in the free access scheme, due to the seasonality of their product offering.

"The survival of the South African national parks system and our natural and cultural heritage lies in the people of South Africa," concluded Dr. Mabunda.