Phabeni Gate
- newest gateway to the South (S25,024710 E31,241345)
In Issue 25 of KRUGER MAGAZINE, we featured the history of Phalaborwa Gate. In this issue we look at the history of Phabeni Gate, and other places of interest in the vicinity.
Origin of the name Phabeni and other local names
Phabeni is the name of a creek that runs parallel to the western boundary of the Park, just east of Phabeni Gate and is a tributary of the Sabie River. Phabeni is of Sesotho origin meaning ‘a shelter or a cave’.
Doispane is the name of a place along the Mtshawu Creek where renowned ranger Harry Wolhuter used to overnight when travelling on horseback between his post at Mtimba (outside the current Park boundary near Numbi Gate) and Skukuza. Doispane is of Xitsonga origin and is derived from ‘dustbin’, the name of a Tsonga person, Doispane Mongwe, who lived there earlier and who apparently pronounced his own name as ‘Doispane’. The main tarred road between Phabeni and Skukuza (S1) is also known as the Doispane Road.
Josékhulu is the name of a small creek along the H2-2 between Pretoriuskop and Malelane. It is of isiZulu and Portuguese origin, meaning ‘large Joe’ and refers to one of João Albasini’s headmen who lived there and looked after Albasini’s cattle. The remains of his huts were found in 1983.
is the name of a prominent hill west of Pretoriuskop, is of isiZulu origin and is named after one of Albasini’s headmen who ran a trading post close by between and and also looked
