On Friday, 11 October 2024, the North West Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Environment Conservation and Tourism led by Hon Mpho Khunou conducted oversight visit

On Friday, 11 October 2024, the North West Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Environment Conservation and Tourism led by Hon Mpho Khunou conducted oversight visit to the Vredefort Dome situated in both the North West and Free State province.
This was during the Oversight Week that took place on the 08 – 11 October 2024 with the aim of strengthening oversight and public participation and to promote accountability and transparency in government.

Vredefort Dome is the oldest, largest, and most deeply eroded complex meteorite impact structure in the world. It contains high quality and accessible geological (outcrop) sites which demonstrate a range of geological evidence of a complex meteorite impact structure. The rural and natural landscapes of the serial property help portray the magnitude of the ring structures resulting from the impact. The serial nomination is a representative sample of a complex meteorite impact structure. A comprehensive comparative analysis with other complex meteorite impact structures demonstrated that it is the only example on earth providing a full geological profile of an astrobleme below the crater floor, thereby enabling research into the genesis and development of an astrobleme immediately post impact.

Amongst challenges mentioned was the poor state of roads that are not feasible for tourist attraction, pollution of the Vaal River that impact on operations of the site, climate change impacts and lack of funding on the site.
A request to open a Vredefort Interpretation Centre was suggested to improve on tourist attraction and the economy of the North West province.

Related Posts