The dusty village of Ha-Mutele in the Mutale municipal area became the centre of attention after the Vhembe District municipality allocated R30 million to them for the construction of an Eco-Tourism Park in the area called Awelani.

Situated next to the Pafuri Gate of the Kruger National Park, Awelani is a Venda name meaning “to get rest”. According to the local economic development officer for the Vhembe District Municipality, Mr Mukundi Mushaphi, the construction of the Awelani project started in 2007 with a budget of R30 million. “The main objective of the Awelani project is to create employment opportunities for local people, to entertain and to accommodate tourists moving to and from the Kruger National Park. Through this project, the Vhembe District Municipality is also preparing for the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament that will be played in the country next year,” he said.

He added that the construction of the park was expected to be completed in January 2010.

The park is the first of its kind in the whole of the Vhembe District and it will be a world-class type tourist attraction centre. According to Mushaphi, the project has already created 93 temporary employment opportunities during the construction phase.

The park, which is located at Tshikuyu Village, also covers other dusty villages like Bileni, Mutele B, Duluthulu and Dovho. It boasts 12 chalets, an administration block, a conference hall, swimming pools, a restaurant, a ladies bar and a curio shop.

The park will be able to create 200 jobs, which include security guards, cleaning staff, game rangers, maintenance workers, waitresses and other services.

The park has several natural features like caves, hills, potholes, gorges and steep slopes which supplement the beauty of the park. The area of the park measures 1 722 km², which offers plenty of grazing space for wild animals.

“A cultural village will also be established in the park where different types of cultural dances will be performed. Various types of cultural paintings, sculptures and many other types of art creations will be sold at the village, which will be a boost for the local people,” said Mushaphi.

One of the residents of Tshikuyu village, Mashudu Mutele, said that he was very grateful for the project, which intends to create jobs for the local people. “Most of the people here are unemployed. The park has brought hope to the poor villagers who had become destitute. We really praise and thank the executive mayor of Vhembe, Cllr Falaza Mdaka, for having initiated such a huge project for the benefit of our community,” he said.