The R536 regional road into the Kruger National Park is still closed in Belfast near Mhuhlu in Mpumalanga.
Residents of four villages, including Belfast, blocked the road with sand and tree trunks, accusing the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport of failing to build a road connecting the villages. The protesters are threatening to keep the road closed until their demands are met.
Tourists intending to visit the national park through the Paul Kruger Gate are advised to use an alternative gate.
A resident who took part in the protest told the SABC that residents had been trying to appeal to the MEC of Public Works in Mohita Latchminarain province since 2021, but to no avail.
“Yesterday we tried to call the MEC, but we couldn’t find it. Someone gave us another phone number and then they said they were busy. We are still waiting for her to come and give us a way forward. We are already tired,” says the injured resident.
