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Looking after our mountains

19 March 2019 | Story Dr Cinde Greyling

Dr Mutana and Prof Mukwada — Many people enjoy spending time in the mountainous Drakensberg region. Prof Geofrey Mukwada’s involvement with the UFS Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) sparked an interest in sustainable tourism in the area. Pictured here are Dr Sarudzai Mutana with Prof Mukwada.

Not only is the Qwaqwa Campus situated in a beautiful region – its researchers also contribute to keeping the area pristine. Recent research by Prof Geofrey Mukwada and his PhD student, Dr Sarudzai Mutana, focused on indicators monitoring sustainable tourism development in the Drakensberg region.

Dr Mukwada is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography on the University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus.

Our majestic mountains are fragile

Many people enjoy spending time in the mountainous Drakensberg region – either as adventure seekers exploring the many trails, or just relaxing and reconnecting with nature. Prof Mukwada’s involvement with the UFS Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) sparked an interest in sustainable tourism in the area. “Mountains are fragile but attractive environments which continue to attract tourists,” he said. “Tourism is one of the major business sectors in the Drakensberg region, with promising growth opportunities and proving to be an anchor of green economy in the future – if practiced correctly.” Unfortunately, the issue of monitoring sustainable tourism has not been widely researched in African mountains.

According to international standards

“We specifically looked at the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC), which is an international best-practice framework to help destinations monitor and ensure that tourism is developed in a responsible manner,” Prof Mukwada explained. “South Africa’s Manual for Responsible Tourism was designed according to some of the recommendations of the GSTC. But we found that, while the tourism and hospitality operators in the Drakensberg region appreciates the need to monitor and ensure sustainable tourism in the area, there is limited use of indicators as a tool for monitoring.”

Forward together

There are competing demands between land-use and development practices and alternatives in the region – unless the focus shifts to sustainable practices, the short-term gains could be followed by dire consequences. “We suggest an integrated monitoring of tourism development, with a pro-poor focus that involves more local community leaders. Going forward, we would like to see the industry adopt the indicators proposed in our study.”

News Archive

UFS appoints new council members

2004-06-07

The council of the University of the Free State (UFS) last week appointed two new council members. One of the members, Mrs Busiswa Tshabalala, will represent the Qwaqwa community. It is the first time since the incorporation of the Qwaqwa into the UFS campus last year that a council member was elected to represent the Qwaqwa community.

Mrs Tshabalala obtained her BA Hons in History from the University of the North’s Qwaqwa campus in 1992 and a B Ed degree in leadership management from the UFS in 1998. She was the first female deputy principal at the Harrismith Secondary School (1989-1992) and principal of the Forty Second Hill Teachers’ Centre in the Vrede area office of the Free State Department of Education. In 2001 she was seconded by the Free State Department of Education to coordinate programme 1 and 2 for Link Community Development. She is currently the director of the Thabo Mofutsanyana education district of the Free State Department of Education.

Dr Susan Vosloo, international acclaimed cardiologist, is the other new member of the council. Dr Vosloo, old Kovsie of the year 1989, obtained the MB Chb degree in 1980 at the UFS, an M Med cardiothoracic surgery and in 1998 the FCS (SA) qualification in cardiothoracic surgery at the College of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA). Dr Vosloo’s career extends over a wide spectrum and she specialises in pediatric and adult cardiothoracic surgery. In 1993 she took part in the first heart transplant in Johannesburg at Milpark Hospital, in 1997 she did the first hear-lung transplant at City Park Hospital in Cape Town and in 1997 a heart transplant on a 3-year old child.

She has a cardiothoracic surgery at the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town since 1991 and in also part-time involved with the Red Cross Memorial Hospital in Cape Town.

“It is a great honour for the UFS to welcome two women with so much expertise and experience on the council. Their presence strengthens the UFS’s continued effort to transform the council,” said judge Faan Hancke, chairperson of the UFS council..

Both Mrs Tshabalala and Dr Vosloo’s appointments are until June 2008.

The following council members have been re-elected until June 2008:

Prof Dines Gihwala - vice-chairperson of the council
Dr Nathan Bagarette
Dr Frans Kotzé

Dr Kobus Laubscher was elected by the donors as representative for a further term until June 2008. Me Winifred Hoexter was elected by the Alumni as the third representative. She has been a foundation donor of the UFS since 1997 and committee member of the Kovsie Alumni Trust since 2000. Me Hoexter’s term is until June 2008. The other Alumni representatives are judge Faan Hancke and Mr Jan Grobler, whose term is until June 2006.

Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

7 June 2004

Mrs Busiswa Tshabalala

Dr Susan Vosloo

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