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Drakensberg Cable Car Revival Faces Big Questions as R1 Billion Request Lands
An old dream resurfaces
For many people in KwaZulu-Natal, the Drakensberg cable car is that one project everyone has heard about for years but never actually seen begin. Now the provincial government is once again pushing to bring it to life. The plan would require close to R1 billion to get off the ground, and the hope is that it would become a major tourism draw for the region.
Councillors still waiting for answers
Local councillors in the Okhahlamba Municipality say they have been left in the dark. Some note that they have not received an update on the cable car in around five years. They expected it to create jobs and business for the area. Instead, they say the silence has created doubt.
One councillor pointed out that the proposal goes back as far as 2004. Another said that he first heard about it as a learner at school, and he is now in his second council term without seeing a single shovel in the ground.
What the R1 billion would fund
The figures used by the government are tied to a 2017 feasibility report. The planned development includes more than just a cableway up the Busingatha Valley. It also lists a hotel, conference centre, spa, backpacker accommodation, self-catering units, an eco-centre, retail space, and a service station.
If it eventually becomes a reality, the intention is to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and unlock a tourism boost for the Drakensberg region.
The government says the project is active again
MEC Musa Zondi has pushed back against claims that the cable car has been abandoned. He says it lay dormant for twelve years before he picked it up again. Now the complexity lies in working with the Free State, the national government, and even Lesotho to ensure all sides approve and support the plan.
He notes that the KwaZulu-Natal cabinet has already given its approval. The project must still receive approval from the Free State cabinet and from Lesotho, with involvement from the Department of International Relations and the Presidency.
A community unsure of what comes next
While the provincial government believes the cable car could transform tourism, local representatives say progress has been too slow and too quiet. After so many years of promises, the community wants more transparency and real movement.
For now, the vision of gliding up the mountain remains just that. A vision that still needs answers, agreements, and funding before the first cable can be pulled into place.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: Drakensberg Experience
