The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial government is is backing a R500 million plan to create a 7km cableway for the Drakensberg. This multi-million rand plan is aimed at increasing tourism in KZN, which according to Economic Development and Tourism MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu, could attract around 300,000 visitors annually. That is just some of what has been detailed in the feasibility study for the project.

If successful, visitors will be able to enjoy the views from the top of Mount Amery. For a price of R200, adults will be able to take the 22 minute ride from the base station that will be situated in the rural area of Mnweni.

An appeal has been made by Mabuyakhulu to enlist private investors to “join hands with the government in making this project a success” as it is unclear who will foot the construction bill and annual operating costs.

There have been previous attempts to construct a cableway and casino in the area, but the ideas were not supported by wilderness and mountain conservation groups.

Mabuyakhulu said:

We chose this area owing to the fact that it is not only one of the world’s breathtaking natural wonders, but also because it has the potential of further enhancing the competitiveness of the province with regard to adventure tourism.

A retired mechanical engineer, Steve Cook, who had been involved in a pre-feasiblity study for a project similar to this, is of the opinion that the cable car would become a “white elephant”. Cooke said:

People look at the massive revenues from the Table Mountain cable car and think this success can be transposed to the Drakensberg – but… the Table Mountain base station is just 18km away from an international airport in an iconic tourist city of almost 8 million people.

But in the case of the Berg, the cable station is in a remote rural area at least three hours from Durban and a similar distance from Johannesburg.

Table Mountain is a flat and pleasant environment at a height of about 1 000m, whereas the top of Berg site is at over 3 000m in a semi-arid, high-mountain environment where the temperatures can drop to -15ºC in winter in the daytime. In the summer you can set your watch by the start of the regular afternoon thunderstorms.

These ‘set backs’, according to Cooke, have not deterred Graham Muller who is currently involved in the feasibility study. The weather, and in particular the rainfall, would “not interfere with cableway visitor numbers in a significant manner”.

[Source: iOL]