What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

General Information & Discussion on Hotels in Kruger
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H. erectus
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Re: What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

Post by H. erectus »

I realize that this post is rather off topic on this thread here,

perhaps we can start a new thread in the Boma, relevant to
heritage<.....


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Re: What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

Post by Lisbeth »

Thank you, H.e.!

I will move it to the KTP topics \O

LInk to the source, please? (Just copy and paste the URL!)


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Re: What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

Post by H. erectus »

Matters seem awful quite out there!!!


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Re: What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

Post by Richprins »

I think last shot fired when Skuks hotel started, H.! ;-)

Other nonsense may begin again after 2019! :twisted:


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Re: What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

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Thanks RP,..


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Re: What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

Post by H. erectus »

Mail received, from another concerned IAP., dear Nigel,....

Dear Mr Hassam,

It is a pleasure to again contact you as a Director: Legal Appeals and Review, of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) to get some clarity on several matters that have a broad base of concern within South Africa regarding various points of our Environmental Estate. There are also external International Bodies who carry out watching briefs who are no less interested in the Environmental situations regarding the health of this Country’s Environmental Estate.

The points are documented here as follows:

1) The first point concerns the DEA’s implementation of Soil Erosion protection measures within South Africa. The South African Farmer’s Weekly of 8th July 2016 carried an article on pages 34 and 35 titled “SA’s Soil Erosion Crisis” with a ‘question and answer’ article with Professor Heinz Beckedahl of the University of KwaZulu Natal’s School of Environmental Science. The entire article is of critical interest and reveals, in paragraph 1, that South Africa annually continues to lose “an estimated 500 million tons of sediment, composed of mainly soil and topsoil. South Africa’s soil erosion is too high, and may have a (negative) impact on future food security, as it reduces soil fertility, thereby reducing productivity.” But very critically to a later question; “How is the South African Government addressing the Soil Erosion Problem?”, Professor Beckedahl responds “While much is being done, more is possible. Through the Department of Environmental Affairs, Government has made large sums (of money) available for soil conservation. Yet these funds are often not spent, and returned to the fiscus. This is of great concern.” – Well, this is of great concern. It is of particular concern as it is unknown why the DEA is not attending to it’s mandate of soil conservation, is not providing skills to desperate rural regions based persons requiring these skills, and not using the opportunity of employing some of the massive numbers of unemployed poorer persons, particularly when the Government is so frequently stating that it is trying to create millions of work opportunities. – I would like you, Mr Hassam, to please advise us of the amount of Taxpayers Funds which have remained unspent by the DEA on Soil Erosion each year over the past 10 years. We are Taxpayers and request this information. I would recommend that you and all relevant DEA staff familiarise themselves with the entire article on South Africa’s Soil Erosion in the Farmer’s Weekly as referenced above.

2) When Interested ans Affected Parties (I&APs) attended DEA’s and South African National Parks’ meetings in late 2013 (Pretoria, Groenkloof, SAN Parks Headquarters) and in January 2014 (Skukuza Conference Centre), and I attended both of the Meetings held to announce that the DEA and SAN Parks intended to establish an Hotel at Skukuza close to the Skukuza Conference Centre, it was announced that the Hotel would include a wing with several luxury suites for Government VIPs – (I understood about 5 to 6 luxury units). I wish to ask the suitability of the provision of these luxury units for Government VIPs – Cabinet Ministers, Departmental Directors and Provincial Governors etc – and I question the suitability of providing such luxury units with the use of Taxpayers money – a) for the hotel in general, and b) for units for Government VIPs in particular. The mandate of SAN Parks, within the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, is to manage the South African Wildlife Estate – the National Parks - as the curators of our South African National Parks on behalf of the people of South Africa – and not to establish Hotels with the Public Tax Payers’ Purse. – Furthermore, where do the Taxpayers’ Funds come from to finance the establishment of an Hotel at Skukuza with provision for the ‘Elite’ amongst Government Employees serving the Country on behalf of the people of South Africa. Do these Funds for the Hotel, with luxury units for Government VIPs – employees of the people of South Africa, - come directly or indirectly from allocated funds to the Department of Environmental Affairs for the control of Soil Erosion? (and for the employment and skills of poor people). – Considering the massive amount of problems now being revealed from Gupta E Mails etc and the topics regarding “State Capture”, and the massive amount of corruption being revealed in many Government Quarters (including many Parastatals; SABC, SAA, ESKOM etc), it is now time for SAN Parks to return to their mandate of Managing the Environment within the South African National Parks Estate and not fiddling with Hotels in National Parks in defiance of their mandate and the Constitution. SAN Parks received a ‘Public Warning’ at a recent Meeting for I&APs this year in Pretoria in relation to inordinate practices. This ‘Public Warning’ should not be ignored Regarding the intent to Prosecute the DEA for unconstitutional activities.

3) On numerous occasions within the last 4 to 5 years, SAN Parks and DEA authorities have been asked at I&APs Meetings, why the SAN Parks Motto or Logo – “CUSTOS NATURAE” (meaning; ‘In Custody of Nature’) – has been removed from the Crest or Badge, bearing the Head of a Bull Kudu, of the South African National Parks. From all the occasions that I&APs at SAN Parks Meetings have requested an explanation as to why the ‘Custos Naturae’ Motto has been removed from the SAN Parks Crest, we have not been able to get a definitive or satisfactory answer. I ask you, Mr. Hassam, to please advise, very clearly, why (for what reason) the Motto was removed from the Crest, and when did the removal of the Motto occur, and who was responsible for the planning idea for the removal, and who was the approving officer for the removal of the Motto. – I believe that neither the DEA nor SAN Parks understand the extent of the negative message and concern that has been created in South Africa and Internationally, by the removal of the Motto from the crest of SAN Parks.

4) I would like up to date information on the introduction of the Peripheral Development Zone (PDZ) corridor within the internal boundary of the Kruger National Park. Again, Mr. Hassam, I would like you to please supply a full justification explanation for the removal of definition of ‘Pristine Conservation Area’ to Peripheral Development Zone, who hatched the plan for this PDZ, when was it promulgated, how was this negotiated through the National Constitution, and what is the current extent (full total length with a width of two kilometres) of the PDZ, all of which collective area is not nowadays regarded as Pristine Conservation area.

5) I enquire how many Law Enforcement Officers (also known as Green Scorpions) are employed by the Department of Environmental Affairs. Mr Hassam, please also inform how many of these Law Enforcement Officers there are supposed to be in terms of a full complement of Department numbers for the whole country, and please inform me of the full provision compliment for each of the nine Provinces of South Africa, and the current numbers of Law Enforcement Officers employed in each Province. If there is a shortfall in employment numbers of Law Enforcement Officers in any Province, please explain the reason or reasons for the shortfalls (deficit) in numbers.

I am constantly aware of the concerned buzz surrounding all these above topics.

You will notice that I have copied this letter to various Interested Parties, and I believe that they will, in turn, copy this letter to greater numbers of Interested Parties within Aikona and Africa Wild, and other interested formed groups, for information to the larger numbers of concerned persons within and beyond the borders of South Africa – not just the 4 or 5 persons as you insinuated (as the limit of I&APs) at the Hearings Meeting at the Department of Environmental Affairs Head Office in Pretoria on 13th January 2016.

I request that you please acknowledge receipt of this letter in the first instance. Thereafter, I request that you please respond to this letter in full within a reasonable time which I suggest will be a period of three weeks. I feel sure that you are surrounded by others at the Department of Environmental Affairs who can assist you with some of the answers if you are not personally well acquainted with the detail required to supply some of the information requested.

From my point of view it would be in order for your reply to be copied to all the persons to whom I have copied this letter in the first instance.

Your sincerely,

A. N. Fernsby (Nigel Fernsby)
Henops River, Pretoria
Tel; Pretoria 012 659 0087
28th August 2017..

Thank you Nigel for keeping the flame burning,...


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Re: What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

Post by Richprins »

Thanks, H.! Very good, this! :yes:


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Re: What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

Post by H. erectus »

Richprins wrote:Thanks, H.! Very good, this!

Agh RP,... all very well and good intended by Nigel!!!,..

Him captivating my mind from the beginning, for his tenacious
attitude in securing Kruger's future!! A well traveled man and
great asset for AIKONA,.and so there are many more over there!!

Sad thing here only would be to witness how .gov will manage to
secure a sense of ignorance when it comes to paying heed!!!
There are many more like him, their integrity wasted,....
not appreciated!!!!!

Several times now, over and over, I have had to witness the failure
of the NEMA act!! The very act that supposedly would accommodate
persons of such ilk. The act sorely lacking to my understanding!!

Hat's off to Nigel,...


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Re: What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

Post by Richprins »

Ja! But not sure of the Aikona connection now? Makes no difference, all on same page! X#X


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Re: What is the situation/progress with the proposed hotels in Kruger?

Post by H. erectus »

Includes names such as, Swaboda's, Scalabrini's and a host
of individuals other and not only!!! There are many, noted!!!~
ones that note pressing questions!!! I'm afraid, but the National
Environmental Management Act is in dire need of perusal!!!

It is sorely lacking in sufficiency!!


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