The Department of Tourism will endeavour to facilitate an amicable resolution that will lead to the completion of the Vredefort Dome Visitor Interpretation Centre.
The Vredefort Dome Visitor Interpretation Centre in the Free State is an initiative of the department under its Working for Tourism programme that supports greater destination competitiveness, transformation, and accelerated tourism and enterprise growth.
Over the years, the construction of the Vredefort Dome Visitor Interpretation Centre has encountered a myriad of challenges that have impacted on the completion of the facility.
“The Vredefort Dome Visitor Interpretation Centre is a critical educational and geological facility that will bring socio-economic benefits for the country and more importantly, to the community members of the Nqwathe Local Municipality and the Fezile Dabi District Municipality,” Deputy Minister of Tourism Maggie Sotyu said on Friday.
Sotyu conducted an oversight visit at the Vredefort Dome UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Free State to assess the progress of the infrastructure developments at the Vredefort Dome Visitor Interpretation Centre.
In January 2024, the department, through the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), appointed a contractor to refurbish and complete the exhibition centre; kiosk and ablutions facilities; the craft market; amphitheater; guard house; parking area; perimeter fence; ramps and walkways; landscaping, and the installation of signage. The refurbishments are 55% complete.
“I have listened to the concerns raised by the community that relate to the construction of the Visitor Interpretation Centre. The challenges surrounding this facility have, over the years, robbed the sector and the community of an opportunity to boost the tourism and revive the local economy.
“As a department, we will endeavour to facilitate an amicable resolution that will lead to the completion of the Vredefort Dome Visitor Interpretation Centre. However, this resolution can be made possible if we all work together, realising the long-term future benefits of the successful completion of the Visitor Interpretation Centre,” Sotyu said.
The tourism community engagement was supported by the executives of the Free State Department of Economic Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.
The event included discussions with the local community, information sharing on various programmes of the department, and exhibitions by the various spheres of government and sector stakeholders. -SAnews.gov.za
