When the statue of King Tshilwavhusiku Makhado Ramabulana was unveiled last year, it was received with mixed feelings by certain members of the community, but presently it is a huge tourist attraction, according to the tourism officer at the Makhado Tourism Information Centre, Mr Donald Gumani.

Gumani claimed that tourists mainly from Germany and Japan are rapidly arriving at town to see the statue of Makhado, who is regarded by many as the 'Lion of the North'.

He said that local tourists are mainly learners from various schools in the Vhembe district, province and country in particular. Other tourists who are flocking to Makhado, according to Gumani, are from neighbouring African countries such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Botswana. “We have also discovered that most of these tourists are coming to town to see Makhado's statue, but they also visit sculptures across the district,” he said.

Gumani added that when tourists arrive at the site of the statue, as tourists officers, they give the visitors a detailed history of Makhado. He further added that hotels and shops around the municipal area of Makhado are benefitting ernomously from the influx of tourists to town. “It is also our view that these tourists are coming to our area because of our tourism marketing strategy, wherein we urge them to disseminate their experience about our area when they get back to their mother countries,” he said.

Gumani added that if the underdeveloped tourist attractions in the Makhado municipal area can be developed, the number of foreign visitors will increase in Makhado. “We have underdeveloped areas such as the Kokwane Footprints and the hot spring mud pool in the Nzhelele valley, which tourists will enjoy visiting.”

Early this year, senior government officials from Namibia, accompanied by representatives from the Premier's office, visited the Makhado Statue. Last Thursday, a group of learners and their teachers from Kgokonyane Secondary School in Bochum also visited the statue.