PUNDA MARIAPunda Maria, at the foot of Dimbo Hill, was originally a ranger’s outpost established by Captain JJ Coetser, who was posted to the area in 1919 to put an end to ivory poaching. Apparently, the first animal Coetser saw when he entered the old Shingwedzi Reserve was a herd of zebra, and since his wife Maria was fond of black-and-white dresses he decided to call his camp Punda Maria – a combination of the Swahili name for zebra (punda milia) and his wife’s name. The rest camp was built in 1933, and, although the original mud-and-thatch huts have been upgraded, the camp retains the rustic atmosphere of Coetser’s day. Visitors can explore the camp surroundings by following a short self-guided trail. |
GUMBANDEBVUGumbandebvu, a prominent hill to the northeast of Punda Maria, is revered by the local communities as a rain hill. The Venda name, meaning ‘to shave one’s beard’, refers to the custom which required those wanting to ascend the hill to be clean-shaven. Tradition has it that Nwakama, a daughter of a local headman and reputedly a relative of the famous Rain Queen, Modjadji, lived at the mountain. Nwakama possessed rain-making powers, and in time of drought she would take the meat of a slaughtered black cow to a certain spot on the hill where it would be offered to the rain gods. It was taboo to climb the mountain without Nwakama’s permission, and only a few privileged men were allowed to accompany her when she performed her rituals. |
BAOBAB HILL...was for centuries a prominent landmark for travellers along the early trade routes between the coast and the interior. Between 1919 and 1927, it served as the first outspan for Mozambicans recruited by the Witwatersrand Native Labour Associ-ation (WNLA) at Pafuri to work in the gold mines on the Rand. The first roads in the north of the Kruger Park were constructed by the WNLA, and the labourers were initially transported by donkey-drawn wagons between outspans set some 40 km apart until they reached the railway line, where they continued on by train to the Witwatersrand. |
WNLA OFFICEThe WNLA recruitment station at Pafuri was situated at the old Mozambican border post. The post was converted into a police station when the border was closed. |
CROOKS’ CORNER...is a triangle of land at the confluence of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers which formed the northern boundary of the Shingwedzi Reserve. In the early 1900s, its remoteness and inaccessibility made it attractive to poachers and other lawless characters. It had another major advantage: situated at the boundary between South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, it was a convenient refuge for those wanting to escape from the law. In time, this spot became known as Crooks’ Corner. |
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The Pafuri area was administered by the then Department of Native Affairs until 1968, when it was incorporated into the Kruger Park in exchange for land to the south of Punda Maria along the park’s western boundary. In 1989, a historic land claim settlement was reached with the Makuleke people, when they regained 25 000 ha of land from which they were forcibly removed when the Pafuri area was incorporated into the park. In terms of the agreement the community will not be able to live permanently in the area, farm, or mine without the permission of South African National Parks, but they have rights over tourism. A variety of tourism projects are being investigated by the community for the area. |
PAFURIPafuri, a delightful picnic spot, lies amid magnificent riverine forest of jackal-berry, ana, nyala, and baobab trees fringing the Luvuvhu River. The river was named by the Venda people after the abundance of river bushwillow trees (Combretum erythrophyllum), while Pafuri owes its name to one of the early chiefs in the area. The forests are home to samango monkeys (re-introduced in 1982), nyala and a wide variety of bird species, including mottled and Böhm’s spinetail, Narina trogon, broadbilled roller, wattle-eyed flycatcher and yellow white-eye, to mention but a few species. |
THULAMELA...is without doubt the most significant archaeological site in the Kruger National Park. Built on the plateau of Thulamela Hill, the site was inhabited by Late Iron Age people – the ancestors of the Venda – between the 15th and 17th centuries. Among the most significant artefacts found here are three small gold beads, a 1-cm-long section of a gold bracelet and two potsherds that could have been part of a crucible for gold-smelting. Chinese porcelain and perforated ornamental cowrie shells have provided evidence of contact with the east coast, while other material excavated includes clay spindle whorls, ivory and metal rings, glass beads and the remains of cattle and small stock. Further research at the site led to the excavation (with the approval of local communities) of two skeletons of inhabitants who were clearly of high status – possibly a chief, or headman, and his wife. At a ceremony attended by the local communities, the two skeletons were reburied in their original graves on 31 May 1997. The stone-walled settlement has been reconstructed and can be visited by joining a guided tour which focuses on Thulamela’s history and its surrounding environment. |
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