Shingwedzi

View of Shingwedzi's office building with the Shingwedzi River in the foreground.
Visitor accommodation at Shingwedzi

Shingwedzi is a rest camp situated in the northern section of the Kruger National Park. It is located on the southern bank of the Shingwedzi River, in Limpopo province, South Africa. The surrounding country formerly constituted the Singwitsi Reserve, established in 1903. The region was over-hunted by the end of the 19th century, and its elephant population completely decimated.[1] The name "Shingwedzi" is of Tsonga origin, and was perhaps derived from "Shing-xa-goli", perhaps a local chieftain, and "njwetse", the sound of iron rubbing against iron.[2]

History

By the end of the 19th century the very remote northeastern part of South Africa was the abode of poachers, illegal loggers, illegal prospecters and illegal recruiters of black labour from across the border.[3] The Administrative Proclamation No. 19 of May 1903 which established the Singwitsi Reserve, also brought these activities under control. The reserve boundary went from the Groot and Klein Letaba confluence in a straight line north to Shikumdu Hill, turning northeastwards to the Levuvhu and Crook's Corner. From the Limpopo it ran south along the Portuguese border to the Olifants, and west along the Letaba to the aforementioned confluence.[4]

Major James Stevenson-Hamilton was warden of the Sabie (since 1902) as well as Singwitsi Reserves, and from 1904 to 1919 major A. A. Frazer, based at Malunzane, was his only ranger in Singwitsi.[3] During Stevenson-Hamilton's inspection tour of September-October 1903 he found that game was scarce. There were numerous African homesteads, the occupants of which subsisted on trapping and hunting by bow and arrow.[1] The scarcity of game he however attributed to systematic hunting by Boer hunters, who were in his opinion doing more damage in a week than the Africans in a year. They had apparently exterminated all the elephant, rhino and eland during the war, and regarded game laws and ordinances as "waste paper", while having "no sporting instincts and no sense of honour as a rule".[1]

Facilities

A landing strip is situated just south of the camp.

Rains and floods

The Shingwedzi River flows only during the summer months, and diminishes to shrinking pools in winter.[2] Heavy rains are normal at the start of each year, which may affect tourist roads, bridges, picnic spots and bush camps. On 20 January 2013 Shingwedzi and Sirheni camps were completely submerged by flood water[5] after 400 mm of rain in a week caused the Mphongolo and Shingwidzi Rivers to burst their banks.[6] 262 people were evacuated and airlifted to safety the next day. Some staff were trapped as roads became submerged and survived by taking shelter in trees or on roofs. Some staff and tourists lost all their belongings, and the cost of rebuilding was over R150 million.[6] The camp was reopened for tourists in June 2013.[7]

Hiking trail

The Mphongolo Backpack Trail starts from Shingwedzi Camp, but doesn't follow a specific route. It enables small groups of visitors to explore areas like the Mphongolo River, Bububu River, Phonda Hills, sodic pans or stone-walled ruins.[8]

Fauna and flora

The camp is situated in elephant country, and breeding herds of 50 to 60 animals frequent the vicinity. The tusks of a local elephant bull named "Shingwedzi" are now displayed in the museum at Letaba. "Shingwedzi" died in 1981 near the camp, and was one of the so-called "magnificent seven" that roamed the park during the 1970s and 80s.[2] Ranger D. Swart reported seeing a group of 6 bat-eared foxes near Shingwedzi in 1967, a species previously thought to be restricted to the western parts of southern Africa. Further sightings in 1967 and 1969 confirmed their presence.[9] The immediate vicinity of the camp contains some riparian vegetation, but the wider region is dominated by mopane country.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dlamini, ? (12 May 2011). "Kruger Park's future lies with its neighbours". pressreader.com. Business Day. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Shingwedzi Rest Camp - Kruger National Park, South Africa". Siyabona Africa. krugerpark.co.za. 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 Stevens, Joep (11 December 2014). "Kruger History: A history of Punda Maria and vicinity". krugerhistory.com. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  4. ↑ Stevens, Joep (5 December 2014). "Kruger History: General History". krugerhistory.com. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  5. ↑ "Kruger's Shingwedzi reopens after floods" (news24.com). City Press. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  6. 1 2 Barry, Hanna (December 2013). "Rebuilding Shingwedzi: how insurance saved SANParks" (PDF). emeraldsa.co.za. REDRiskSA. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  7. ↑ "Shingwedzi re-opens camp following devastating flood". showme.co.za. The Write News Agency, Nelspruit News. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  8. ↑ Desmet, Andrew; et al. "Mphongolo Backpack trail Explore Krugers northern wilderness areas". krugerpark.co.za. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Pienaar, U. de V. (1970). "A note on the occurrence of Bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis (Desmarest) in the Kruger National Park". Koedoe. 13 (1): 1–22.

Coordinates: 23°06′29″S 31°26′09″E / 23.10806°S 31.43583°E / -23.10806; 31.43583

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