On a recent visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, I was struck by how popular this treasure of nature is.
The car park was packed to capacity – and it was only by a stroke of luck that I found a parking space and was able to then enter the Gardens.
While I am used to it being a busy spot, I mostly hear a babble of foreign languages or accented English. That’s because it’s one of the top items on every tourist’s bucket list when they visit Cape Town.
But, this time, it was different. Most visitors appeared to be South Africans – in all likelihood, locals from Cape Town. So, how come they all decided to visit Kirstenbosch on the same day I did? It was because National Gardens Week was being celebrated, and the authorities had decided to offer free entry to the Gardens to all.
Kirstenbosch, like many other Cape Town treasures – the Table Mountain Cableway, Cape Point, Robben Island trips, etc. – has seen entry prices increase dramatically in recent years. Coupled with our inflationary environment, it’s become more difficult for local people to enjoy these unique gems. While the pricing may work for visitors with Dollars or Euros, our own people are being shut out.
It’s sad. People clearly want to enjoy these destinations, but they cannot afford to pay to visit. And so our own people are unable to enjoy the properties that, as citizens of the city, effectively ‘belong’ to them. In addition, exposure to experiences outside one’s daily life and environment can spark the sort of enthusiasm that gives rise to people who passionately follow a field of interest – in this case, it could promote the development of aspirant botanists, ornithologists and entomologists.
While it’s hugely positive that Cape Town has become the darling of the world’s travellers – bringing economic growth as tourist Dollars are spent here – we must be aware of the necessity of not shutting out our own people. It’s crucial that we find a happy medium.
Wishing you all a Chag Pesach Sameach! May the message of freedom touch us all this year.
I’d like to express my deep gratitude to a number of people who, unsolicited, have stepped forward to help the Chronicle in various ways. Things have been tough for the publication for a few years now: we struggle financially, and we’re very short of resources. So, having people offer their help as volunteers is so welcome – and we’ve had two such approaches in recent weeks. And so, too, financial support is a huge help. Our patrons have committed to provide financial support on an annual basis, but we’ve also had a particularly generous offer from a private individual (who wants to remain anonymous). We cannot say ‘Thank you’ often enough: you all constitute a much-needed lifeline for the publication during these difficult days.
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