Stakeholder meeting and Survey - Kruger Self-Drive Day Visitors

[Richprins]

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KNPTraffic_CB

Dear Sir/Madam,

Your opinion as a self-drive day visitor to the Kruger National Park is extremely important to and can help us manage the Park more effectively.

SANParks would like to invite you to participate in a discussion which will aim to find solutions to the traffic congestion experienced on certain days in the South of Kruger (most notably public holidays and school holidays).

Details of the sessions and how to RSVP can be found by clicking on this link: KNP Traffic Management Study –self-drive day visitors.

Please RSVP on or before the 2nd of November 2017.

If you are not able to attend any of the sessions, but would like to have an opportunity to contribute your thoughts on the proposed solutions, you may also do so by participating in an online questionnaire – kindly indicate your preference in the link provided above.

For any project related queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Liandi Slabbert

Manager: Tourism Research

South African National Parks

Tel: (012) 426 5000

Email: liandi.slabbert@sanparks.org

http://www.sanparks.org

http://www.wildcard.co.za

[Richprins]

Details of the focus group sessions for self-drive day visitors:
Session 4
Date: Wednesday, 22 November 2017
Time: 9am – 12pm
Venue: Protea Hotel, Nelspruit.
Address: 30 Orchards, Jerepico St, Nelspruit.
Free entry to the Park will be arranged for you for your next visit to the Park (limited to 1 day and 2 visitors).

Session 7
Date: Saturday, 25 November 2017
Time: 10am – 1pm
Venue: Skukuza Game Capture Auditorium.
Free entry to the Park will be arranged for you for the day if you are not in possession of a Wild Card (limited to 1 day and 2 visitors).

Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be served.
* 1. Please indicate which session you want to attend:

[Richprins]

Once again this was sent this afternoon giving 2 days notice to RSVP, and no indication as to who was selected to receive it. Also not easy to find it on SANParks website.

But it is important, IMO, as I think it is the first feeler towards ending self-drive in the South of Kruger, and getting more money into SP coffers via OSV tenders. There should be a general traffic congestion discussion, not one for day visitors only?

[H. erectus]

Bin breaking my back in sourcing this info on Sanparks website!!~

Thanks RP,..

I am totally gobsmacked by this gesture!!! This kind of
market research by Sanparks Tourism research unit only
goes to prove as you mentioned!!

I have yet to receive detailed Traffic studies done at other
initiatives that would indicate congestion!! The greatest slap
to my face would be MR. Schraaders, Chief engineer KNP, that
I should not take the figures regarding traffic numbers(vehicles)
per km as cast in stone!! These stats merely a wishful situation!!!


It's wrong, so wrong and wrong it will forever be!!

The blatant approach about this, speaks for self, so much so,
you may well wipe your behind with their so called participation
10 year management and whatever!!

This situation so contradictory yet so real!!

I' m afraid but all that remains left that may ever safeguard KNP
from abuse,..would be a common anti tourism approach!!

[RogerFraser]

Facebook post regarding the above :

Lorinda Steenkamp
1 hr
So SANParks has send out an invitation, via email, to a selected number of visitors to participate in discussions to find solutions for the congestion in the south of Kruger. I personally did not get this email and the same goes for a number of other regular visitors I asked.
According to the email, participants needs to RSVP within the next 3 days. A link in the email is provided with more detail on supposed venues etc. I have not been able to see that.
This participation process was not shared on here, the official Facebook group of SANParks for Kruger. I am also not able to find any notice about it on the official SANParks website.
Would such a process then constitute a stakeholder participation process?? In my opinion, not by any chance!!!
Actually, I have all right to be VERY suspicious about the secretive way this is all done.
To add insult to injury, I have seen a document complied by the OSV industry, the “Misa Radio Policy”. I now understand why this was compiled. The OSV industry has probably been informed about the so-called participation process a long time ago!!!
But the majority of Joe-public has no idea about what is being planned for their beloved Kruger!!
SANParks, you do not have the right to decide who or who not partakes in important decisions that will impact our Natural Heritage!! You are the custodians, on our and future South African’s behalf!
Advertise this participation process widely and give everybody who wish to participate a chance to do so.
FYA Lesego Nko, William Mabasa, Glenn Phillips

Ilana Wilken I personally received the email. They are going to have focus group discussions with people who are willing and able to participate. They cannot invite everyone who ever visited SANParks, as it's just logistically impossible. That is unfortunately how research with the public (especially on this scale) works. They do, however, state in the email that if you'd like to receive a questionnaire in January 2018 on this issue (generated with the information received at the focus groups), you should send them an email informing them of such. My guess is that the email was sent out randomly (generated by a computer program), because I didn't get the survey about the extra conservation fee for anti-poaching, for example. It's just the luck of the draw.

[Richprins]

Ja, all I can think is that someone who isn't banned must post it on the SP forums...

[Bushcraft]

Ja, all I can think is that someone who isn't banned must post it on the SP forums...

Ja, but silence so far..........

[H. erectus]

I am prepared to do so,...only to be banished.

Tell me where and what,....have still not had a reply
from sanparks requesting an invite. Neither Gerhard Smit.

Does not seem to bother him.

[PennyinSA]

Don't worry HE I received three so there are two up for grabs in my inbox!

[Richprins]

Just register, H.!