New EIA Company for Hotels replacing ILA...guess who!?

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Richprins
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New EIA Company for Hotels replacing ILA...guess who!?

Post by Richprins »

Since ILA have been relieved of their duties for reasons undisclosed as far as preparing the Scoping report and Environmental Impact Assessment for the Malelane Hotel, it is unbelievable who has been appointed in their place!!!!!


The history of V&L Landscape Architects dates back to 1975. Through the years, the practice has operated under the directorship of respected and well known names in the Landscape Architectural profession, such as Professor Willem van Riet, Johan Louw and Peter Velcich.
Known first as Willem Van Riet Landscape Architects CC (1987), the company was renamed as Van Riet & Louw Landscape Architects CC in 1995. The company now operates as V&L Landscape Architects.
The current Directors of the firm are Johan Le Roux Louw (Pr Larch, MILASA, SACLAP) and Peter Gerard Velcich (ML (Pret) Pr Larch, MILASA, SACLAP



Yes, it is/was Professor Van Riet of "Pro Hotel fame's" own Company!!!

Maybe someone should post on his "Blog" how the heck you can be player and referee at the same time!


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Re: New EIA Company for Hotels replacing ILA...guess who!?

Post by Lisbeth »

serval wrote:Is this the same Prof Willem van Riet who is the Timfenene "hotel facilitator" appointed by Sanparks ?

Is he still connected to the above company ?
Sprocky wrote:Ei I think that there are still lots of similar cases that will be exposed. Being the ref and the player makes it so much easier. :roll:
Richprins wrote:
I don't know if he still works there, but obviously he has a conflict of interests by implication!!!

He used to be a member of the Parks Board, for heavens' sakes!!! O/

They are known colloquially simply as V&L... :roll:
Lisbeth wrote:Why do I remember something much more detailed? :?
Professor Willem van Riet retired from the firm in January 1998.
Van Riet retired.......he might still have 85 % or whatever of the shares!
Richprins wrote:Ja, I don't think the Van Riet connection is emphasised enough, but there we are!! \O

He is not that retired that he hasn't been brought on board by Sanparks in an official capacity!
Lisbeth wrote:Appointing another company for the scoping report they must pay twice, but I suppose it is nothing against the risk of having the project turned down.

They ought to give a reason for this change!!
Bushcraft wrote:I just spotted him on Carte Blanche. :shock: :shock: :shock: Isn’t that a conflict of interest :evil:
Richprins wrote:A major conflict of interest, were one to be a true conservationist! :cry:
Bushcraft wrote:It’s difficult to betray those that are indirectly paying your salary :evil: :evil: :evil:
Richprins wrote:SanParks are paying him a fee as consultant for the Malelane project...a while now, plus paying his old company a fee to do the EIA/Scoping etc.

He presumably still gets a shareholder's gratuity from said company?
Lisbeth wrote:As far as we know, he might still hold the majority in said company O**
lowveldboy wrote:Would not bet against it!

Will a real conservationist even contemplate doing this?
Guest wrote:The company doing the EIA (V&L) was appointed and is paid by the developer.
Geza wrote:
I think it is still approriate if we substitute one of the words for "conservation". It may have been a verbal "condition" to him getting the contract to do the EIA in the first place. :roll: Nothing on paper so there is no paper trailif you see what I'm aiming at. But then again, that is just my opinion based on some twisted logic that works in my head.
Richprins wrote:
Guest wrote:The company doing the EIA (V&L) was appointed and is paid by the developer.
At whose suggestion, I wonder? 8-)
Richprins wrote:Peter, the one director of V&L, contacted me today in response to the invitation to them to view these forums, to explain that the "V" in V&L no longer stands for Van Riet...in fact not for many years! (If only we had known this earlier! :shock: )

The director of the Malelane Hotel consortium approached them to do the new Scoping and EIA after positive interaction regarding another Kruger project a few years ago.

It's a long story, but at face value there is no conflict of interest at present, which was also accepted by Carte Blanche in their research.

V&L are very open to discussion, and remain in favour of any public input!

Personally I think it was still a little daft to engage a company with ANY previous connections to Van Riet, but so be it! :wink:

But all parties understand fully that the battle is on!

Thanks, Peter!
Richprins wrote:Confirmation from Peter Velcich today:

As discussed telephonically yesterday, I would like to clarify the relationship of V&L and Professor Willem van Riet regarding the Radsisson Blu Project:

1. Prof. Van Riet was a senior partner (member) with Van Riet and Louw Landscape Architects CC until early 1998.

2. He resigned in 1998 and started a competitor company, Willem van Riet Landscape Architects, leaving myself and Johan Louw as sole members.

3. Since then, he has no interest whatsoever in the CC, which was renamed V&L (Velcich and Louw) Landscape Architects in 2005.

4. Prof. Van Riet played no part in awarding the EIA to V&L. V&L were approached and appointed by the proponent, Mr. Peter Wright, whom I had met on a previous project.

5. Prof. Van Riet has played no part in the compilation of the EIA documentation.

I trust this clears up the confusion and misconceptions.
Lisbeth wrote:This has been cleared up \O

Always dangerous to think the worst without having any facts in hand :wink:
iNdlovu wrote:Nice to have it cleared up, but I find it difficult to believe that he has had no input with his previous partners although it could well be the case.
Richprins wrote:No love lost there..a long story! :wink:
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