Construction of the Godumodumo Dinosaur Centre in Golden Gate Highlands National Park near Clarens, Free State, is nearing completion, according to Deputy Minister of Tourism, Amos Fish Mahlalela, during a visit to the centre yesterday (Sunday, September 26).

The Free State is the host province for the government’s World Tourism Day celebrations today (September 27) and the visit to the centre was part of these activities.

The Centre is a legacy project that was funded by the Department of Tourism through its Tourism Infrastructure Development Fund in 2018.

“The MOU between the Department and SANParks has been a strategic partnership that has birthed the incredible Dinosaur Centre and many other significant tourism infrastructure projects at South African National Parks,” said Mahlalela.

“As a world-class and state-of-the art interpretive centre, the project will serve as an iconic tourist attraction modelled on the narrative interpretation of the palaeontological, archaeological and geological evidence found at the Golden Gate Highlands National Park.”

Dumisani Dlamini, SANParks Chief Financial Officer, said: “The Dinosaur Centre is one of many major SANParks initiatives that have been funded by the Department.”

He added that the discovery of dinosaur eggs at Golden Gate was a marvel in South Africa. “SANParks is confident that the centre will provide the most ideal platform to educate visitors, especially young learners, about dinosaurs and many other interesting attributes of the park.”

Dlamini said construction of the Dinosaur Centre was on track. “We hope to launch it at the end of this financial year.”