Access to the 15 provincial reserves managed by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has been temporarily closed due to wage protests by employees affiliated to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU).

In a press statement on Wednesday (November 9), the provincial tourism authority said it was engaging with NEHAWU leadership to resolve a dispute over salary increase increments for the 2022/2023 financial year.

MTPA spokesperson Kholofelo Nkambule told Tourism Update that the picketing was not part of the nationwide strike action expected to be undertaken by Public Service Association-affiliated employees tomorrow.

“We must stress that MTPA staff are picketing, and have not embarked on a strike. We are optimistic that the dispute will be swiftly resolved following engaging with NEHAWU leadership,” said Nkambule.

The popular Blyde River Canyon, one of the country’s top tourist attractions, is among the reserves managed by the MTPA. Nkambule stressed that the Kruger National Park, which falls under the auspices of South African National Parks, had not been affected by the labour dispute.

MTPA Acting CEO Mduduzi Vilakazi apologised to affected stakeholders, assuring them that the agency was placing urgency on resuming operations.

“We will continue to provide updates as the reopening of our nature reserves is a top priority as it will afford tourists an opportunity to continue with their planned trips. In the meantime, we would like to encourage visitors coming to Mpumalanga to enjoy their stay and explore other areas on offer in the province,” said Vilakazi.

Editor’s note: There are key differences between picketing and strike action. According to South Africa’s labour law, a strike is the “partial or complete concerted refusal to work”, while picketing is a “form of public demonstration in support of any protected strike”.