A portion of the Krugersdorp Game Reserve may soon be developed into a massive edutainment centre hoping to draw tourists from around the globe – but questions have been raised about why a conservation area is being targeted for the development.

The Mzanzi Dreamland was proposed by The Hadassah Group‚ and the estimated cost of R3-billion will be funded by the developer. No decision has yet been taken‚ as the relevant impact studies still needs to be completed.

The proposal for the theme park reads: “The opportunity is there to develop Africa’s first theme park‚ similar to Russia’s Dream Island that will serve as a world-class entertainment centre.”

Acting CEO of the West Rand Development Agency Zeblon Mphaphuli said: “The mandate of WRDA is to facilitate investment in the West Rand region. The Hadassah group approached the WRDA with a view to invest in the tourism sector within the region.

“It is in this context that we initiated and identified the Krugersdorp Game Reserve as a possible destination for the kind of investment that they proposed.”

For more on this story‚ please visit Times Select.