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News - Date: 30 April 2010
Changes have been afoot at the well-known Ben Lavin Wildlife Nature Reserve and it is once again open to the public.
The reserve was closed down for the past 20 months in order for the new managers to conduct an upgrade and to restore the reserve to its former glory.
Ron and Margret Sparrow joined forces with Jaco and Mariaan Oberholzer and put in their project proposal to the Manavhela Community for a joint-venture tender.
It took determination and lots of hard work to go through all the formalities, but after eight months, their efforts were rewarded when they were finally awarded the tender.
“This joint venture creates a unified and positive future for the reserve, the Manavhela Community as well as the private sector,” said Mr Sparrow.
“The working relationship between the parties in this joint venture will play a large and positive role in the management of the reserve and the expansion of the wildlife and eco activities, thereby adding more value to the reserve, ourselves and the Manavhela Community.”
The reserve of almost 2 500 hectares, situated just south of Louis Trichardt, was first owned by Ben and Molly Lavin and has an interesting and colourful history.
Following war veteran Ben’s death in 1975, the land was donated to the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) by Molly. Molly, on her death in 1993, entrusted the reserve to WESSA in her will, with the exception that the reserve may never be sold and must be managed as a nature reserve.
However, in 2002 the reserve was officially handed back to the Manavhela Community, following a successful land claim.
Renovations to the reserve were made possible by a donation given to the Manavhela Community by a French company also involved in the Gautrain project. Funds were primarily spent on major upgrades at the main camp and its accommodation structures.
The main camp now boasts four new two-bed thatched chalets, as well as two family thatched units with two bedrooms.
The older A-frame canvas/thatched units were also renovated, complete with their own braai facilities.
“A bush camp is also available for people who want a more rustic bush experience, away from the crowd,” said Mr. Sparrow.
All the units are warmly decorated to fit into the surrounding environment. The camping site for caravans and tents was also upgraded, with new ablution blocks and entertainment area for campers.
Visitors to Ben Lavin will be delighted with the variety of wild- and birdlife in the reserve. The reserve still boasts quite a number of animals, consisting of wildebeest, zebra, kudu, impala, giraffe, bushbuck, waterbuck, tsessebe and nyala. The near future will see the exciting implementation of wildlife breeding projects.
Some of these, explained Mr. Sparrow, will include the rearing of lion cubs for walking safaris, as well as game breeding projects with sable or buffalo. Plans are also afoot to put in adventure safaris, which will include a horse-back trail. For the more energetic, there is already a mountain bike trail.
“We believe that the success of Ben Lavin will also provide a venue for regional and international visitors as it has in the past and these visitors will help to boost our local economy to everyone’s benefit,” said the Sparrow and Oberholzer families.
Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.
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