Pretoria - At least 200 temporary job opportunities will be created through the establishment of the Thohoyandou National Botanical Garden with R20 million being secured from the department’s environmental programmes and R20 million from the National Department of Tourism for garden development and tourism destination promotion.
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy announced the botanical garden as the 11th official national botanical garden in the country.
Creecy said Thohoyandou National Botanical Garden is a biodiversity centre for the province showcasing traditional botanical garden infrastructure, the role of indigenous knowledge and practices in conservation and biodiversity research facilities, which will be of benefit to the province.
Creecy said the presence of the community members at the launch is especially significant because of the cultural and historical value that this land holds.
"We, as government, want to continue to grant access to your community to visit ancestral graves located within these gardens, in a more dignified and structured manner.
"This will be discussed and agreed to between the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the affected communities."
In establishing the gardens, Creecy said, the benefit to the surrounding community was a key factor.
"The Vhavenda nation has a rich and unique cultural heritage, which the garden will aim to preserve.
"This includes the design and naming of structures in the garden."
Creecy said the Vhembe region is known to have several unique and threatened floral species, which will be conserved in the garden and displayed for educational purposes and scientific research.
She said the garden will also host workshops for traditional leaders and healers to raise awareness around sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants, while students from the University of Venda and learners of the Mphaphuli Community will also benefit from educational programmes.
SANBI Chairperson, Edward Nesamvuni, thanked and appreciated the visionaries who saw it fit to establish herbarium in 1976 and the area as a botanical garden.
"SANBI envisages that the plan for the Thohoyandou Garden will increase its educational value, financial viability and the interest and support of visitors, tourists, and the local community.
"We envisage the garden design where the choice of species represents multiple values of plants to the people, communicated in highly innovative, yet culturally appropriate ways," said Nesamvuni.
SANBI CEO, Shonisani Munzhedzi, said there will be a refurbishment of the existing infrastructure.
"There will also be development of new tourism funded facilities including the guest houses on the other side, a new ablution facility as people who come here for leisure and other activities often struggle.
"There will be a new visitor side, and a landscape garden."
Munzhedzi said there will be a new tree canopy walkway at the garden, which is the second garden to have one, following the one in Cape Town.
Pretoria News