Tour operators and tourists are being turned away today at Bourke’s Luck Potholes, a popular Mpumalanga tourist attraction, as a result of unrest created by an ongoing community dispute.
Two different communities own the Bourke’s Luck land: the local community across the pothole area and the Bushbuckridge community. Jobs created by the maintenance of the land, such as the burning of the firebreaks, are allocated to each community on alternate years. This year, however, there has been a disagreement as to which community is entitled to the employment opportunities.
Lisa Sheard, Kruger Lowveld Tourism, says the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Authority is aware of the problem. The authority has called a meeting this morning to address the issue, which will hopefully be resolved timeously. Tour operators and tourists should, however, avoid the Bourke’s Luck Potholes for the remainder of the day.
According to the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, the national road passing Bourke's Luck Potholes still appears to be safe at the moment.
