Standing in front of the entrance to the Fonteinbos just outside Aberdeen on the N9, the feeling of desolation, abandonment, and neglect is prevalent.
The entrance to this designated area for wild animals to live peacefully and in harmony with nature and man has been vandalized, neglected and obviously forgotten.
A building to the right of this sad looking entrance has had the roof removed. Perhaps it is a lack of official control, poor official management, insufficient funds and just total lack of interest to the people of Aberdeen, to the local farming community and to the associations who supposedly promote Aberdeen and its surrounds to visitors and tourists?
In the past two years, influential qualified people have been invited to Aberdeen to try and see the potential of the Fonteinbos and to convey their advice to the government departments responsible for undertaking a project to rehabilitate and promote this area. If it is to be believed, finance was requested from the government to secure this area, to build camping sites, walking trails, biking paths, build a tourism bureau and the many other wonderful projects. Exactly nothing appears to be happening, so is this project “to be or not to be” or will it remain forever in the pipeline of the mind?
The entrance to this designated area for wild animals to live peacefully and in harmony with nature and man has been vandalized, neglected and obviously forgotten.
A building to the right of this sad looking entrance has had the roof removed. Perhaps it is a lack of official control, poor official management, insufficient funds and just total lack of interest to the people of Aberdeen, to the local farming community and to the associations who supposedly promote Aberdeen and its surrounds to visitors and tourists?
In the past two years, influential qualified people have been invited to Aberdeen to try and see the potential of the Fonteinbos and to convey their advice to the government departments responsible for undertaking a project to rehabilitate and promote this area. If it is to be believed, finance was requested from the government to secure this area, to build camping sites, walking trails, biking paths, build a tourism bureau and the many other wonderful projects. Exactly nothing appears to be happening, so is this project “to be or not to be” or will it remain forever in the pipeline of the mind?
Article By: Joan Tinker
