Lucky to be high and dry after Kruger floods

Benjy Jassinowsky loves spending time in the Kruger National Park and even has a home there. But this month was the first time he has ever been trapped by raging rivers.

He and his wife, Zareen, were caught in the floods that ravaged the park in early February, both evacuating separately because of the rising waters.

“I was in Sabi Sands at the time with some friends, which has the Manyeleti River in front of it. Zareen was at our house in Malelane on the Crocodile River,” he says. “On our arrival on 8 February, the Manyeleti was a dry river bed with a few pools in it, and by 9 February, it was a river. It was amazing to see. It turned into a major river, which covered all trees and bushes, reached about 30m in width, and was very deep. We were basically trapped in Sabi, as the only way out was to cross either the Manyeleti or Pungwe River.

“On 13 February, we were told that if the rain continued, we would be stuck there for a few more days,” he says. “We drove down to the river crossing to see a tractor that had been sent to repair the game fences had been washed off the low-level bridge by the force of the water. On 14 February, the rangers told us it had subsided, and being in a Land Rover Discovery, we might be able to get through and should be ready to leave if they called us.

“They then called us to get to the river, where a tractor was waiting to tow us through for safety reasons. It took us about three hours to do the 60-odd kilometres from Gowrie Gate to the tar road. Rivers and bridges were overflowing, and roads were destroyed, closed, or pure mud.

“One couple had to get home and chartered a helicopter to get out. Two couples – one from Mexico and one from New York – were at the lodge, and had to leave on the Wednesday to attend a wedding in Cape Town. Their trip to Sabi, after all the planning and expense, was effectively ruined by the rain, as most roads in Sabi were closed and driving off road to follow game wasn’t allowed.”

Meanwhile, his wife was at their house, which usually overlooks a peaceful Crocodile River far below. But after the rains, “the river rose, to the point that the Democratic Alliance councillor for the area arrived at the house on Sunday to advise that the river was at dangerous levels and they should pack their bags and be ready to evacuate should they hear a warning siren. She also advised that somebody should watch the river throughout Sunday night.” At that point, the river was a raging, muddy torrent, threatening to burst its banks.

But all turned out well, “and they left early on Monday morning. The river has since subsided slightly. However, all sand roads in southern Kruger remain closed, and the road between Lower Sabie and Skukuza is closed due to the road being washed away near Lubye Lubye. There was a landslide on Schoemanskloof Pass, which forced the road to be closed on the Sunday, and the alternate route was also closed for a few hours on the Sunday due to mudslides and road damage.”

Says Nadav Ossendryver, the chief executive of Latest Sightings, “The park covers an area of more than 19 000 square kilometres, and is home to numerous rivers, including the Limpopo, Olifants, and Sabie. The flooding hasn’t just affected tourists and park employees but also the wildlife that relies on these rivers for survival.

“The flooding is particularly problematic because many of the roads are made of sand and are prone to getting washed away or becoming impassable,” he says. “This has made it difficult for vehicles to traverse the park, leading to visitors becoming stranded, and park authorities are forced to close the roads for their own safety.”

Ossendryver was in the park with tourists on the day the heavy rains began. “I was on my way out the park, and it had been raining all night, but because nothing was flooding yet, all the sand roads were open.

“So I went on the sand roads, but we found ourselves sliding around every corner. Because we were so deep in the sand, in the middle of the park, far from any tar road, we were trying not to get stuck. We tried to get to the closest tar road. We got back okay, but it took a long time because we had to drive extra slowly. And outside the park, highways were going at 60km per hour. By that afternoon, when I was back in Joburg, the park had started flooding.”

Anton Gillis, the chief executive of Kruger Gate Hotel, says, “Fortunately, our hotel sustained minimal structural damage. From our hotel, guests could still enjoy game drives. Floods of this magnitude are few and far between, and watching the rivers in full flow is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” However, he notes similar events took place back in 2003.

“Sadly, the rural villages surrounding the hotel where our staff live were affected. We’re assisting them to rebuild,” he says. “In addition, we’re anticipating heavy rain this coming weekend. To prepare for it, we inform all our guests ahead of time about what they can expect, and we offer the option of changing their dates without penalty.

“From an infrastructure perspective, we ensure that no guests are allocated our low-meter-mark rooms. All furniture is off the floor, and sandbags are put all over the place to divert the water to drainage areas. We also ensure that our roads are accessible.”

Marlon Lewinsky owns Nyaleti Lodge & Villa, a bed and breakfast in the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate between the Kruger and the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. He says they weren’t badly affected, and had many requests for last-minute bookings from tourists who couldn’t access their accommodation.

His father, Milton Lewinsky (85), lives close by, and Marlon had to fetch him by crossing a road that was flooded. He tested the floodwaters first before driving back through it with his elderly dad. A video of their crossing shows his Suzuki 4×4 making its way across as the water almost reaches the windows and windscreen.

Mark Fox, who owns Foxy Crocodile Bush Retreat on the banks of the Crocodile River, told the SA Jewish Report on 20 February, “The storm seems to have blown over. The rivers have dropped, and the Crocodile Bridge is opening up for the first time in two weeks, so we don’t have to drive all the way to Malelane, which is a 100km round trip, and difficult for guests. The only gate that was accessible from where we are was Malelane. We’re not sure if any dirt roads will be open.

“The rain did quite a bit of damage to the lodge, but we have good erosion control, and it’s already repaired. The roads are really a mess in and around us. We’re also off the grid, so all the power failures didn’t affect us.”

He says his wife, Gail, “had bags packed and was ready to evacuate” but “I would have been happy to be stuck in the Kruger with the animals!”

“The devastation had an impact on all livelihoods around the Kruger,” he says. “People couldn’t get to work, everything came to a standstill. Half of our staff was on site, while others couldn’t get there. We all got stuck in, cleaned up, and looked after the guests. Everyone put in a massive effort to keep the lodge operating.”

Photo Credit: SANParks