Pop-up camp to open in Kruger National Park

[Richprins]

Thanks, GS! Long time no smell. Well done!

[G@mespotter]

SANParks did not reply. Such a pity that we have to inform ourselves. Below I made a summary of the way the Pop Up camp story.

It seems that SANParks has already authorised a local South-African company to implement and exploit the Pop Up camp without any EIA (environment impact assessment) study and or without awarding any tender. Why do I say so? Have a read down below.

Company involved

Two months ago SANParks wrote the following:

A tender document is being prepared regarding the pop up camp . SANParks operates under strict environmental regulations and has done several pilots in the past 2 years . Lessons learned from those projects has informed the decision to make it a limited event in one area so as to avoid causing any damage to the environment.

SANParks itself communicated that it made a decision to make it [the Pop Up camp] a limited event in one area. So the decision apparently is there. This is not everything. The decision by SANParks that a specific company will get all the approval and rights it needs to run and exploit the Pop-Up camp is also already made. I say this because the company that will run this camp and already got all the approval and rights already started marketing the 'product' being the Pop-up camp.

This company that seems to be involved is South African Trading Experiences Trading (Pty) Ltd with registration 2014/014548/07 trading as CHIEF'S TENTED CAMP. I base this on the following information: on the website where you can book the Pop-up accommodation, this company is mentioned in the Terms CLICK HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.
The proof that you can already book accommodation at this camp for a few months already is here: KRUGER GRANDE.CO.ZA (CLICK HERE). The website is already up and running for a few months now According to their website the camp is already planned to be opened from 1 July to 4 August 2019. The rates are R5 850 (!!!)– per person, per night, sharing. R7 605 – per person, per night, single. There will even be a CASH BAR available! How?!

The company that seems to be involved has already done all the marketing that needs to be done. There is a fully operative 7 pages colour MARKETING BROCHURE (CLICK HERE). The proof is here:

South African Trading Experiences Trading (Pty) Ltd does not seem to have an awarded tender, alternatively this has not been communicated to the public, but yet has a running website for months already. How is this possible? It even already has fully developed marketing leaflets for a few months already since they have seen accessible online.

So there seem not to be an EIA, there seem to be no tender awarded yet but yet this company has invested a huge amount of money already to run and/or exploit this camp in Kruger, somewhere close to Skukuza (1 hours drive from Skukuza according to the website). I wonder if there is a liquor licence for the cash bar as well?

Information about the parties involved
Public CIPC information shows South African Trading Experiences Trading (Pty) Ltd is a company with it's registered address in the Western Cape and a postal address in Olivedale (near Randburg).

According to the CIPC registers the directors of this company are two directors namely Allan David Johnston (age 63) and Lysta Stander (age 59). It seems these people still want to be part the commercial world. You can MEET THIS FAMILY (CLICK HERE) on their website.

Allan Johnston and Lysta Stander seem to have more companies they are involved in and/or running. These companies are NAMAQUA FLOWER CAMPS (CLICK HERE), CHIEFS LUXURY SAFARI TENTED CAMPS (CLICK HERE), CHRYSTAL AND CANVAS, NOUP

I have 'extracted' the faces for these directors. I think they might be able to answer a whole lot of our questions. They can be contacted at allan@experiences.co.za or lysta@experiences.co.za.

(continued below in next post)

[G@mespotter]

(previous post continued)

Allan David Johnston

Lysta Stander

Contact details of the people involved:

SOLD A SHARE TO ANOTHER PARTY
So with this information it is clear that South African Trading Experiences Trading (Pty) Ltd (2014/014548/07) trading as Chiefs Tented Camp is a (huge) commercial party that knows what it is doing and has enough money to get this 'Pop Up Camp' ball rolling. It seems SANParks is willingly allowing them to run the Pop-up Camp before awarding any tender and by doing so SANParks seems not to be adhering to their own rules. But the story doesn't end here. Recently another (huge) commercial tourism company officially joined the "stage".

By now, everyone has heard of the Luxury (5 star) Train Bridge Accommodation (CLICK HERE) which will be launched from December 2019. The company exploiting/running the Luxury (5 star) Train Bridge Accommodation at Skukuza is KRUGER SHALATI (CLICK HERE). KRUGER SHALATI is a company owned by Thebe Tourism Group (Pty) Ltd, a company with a registered address in (the very 'rich') Sandton.

The Thebe Tourism Group is a subsidiary of the is a 100%-owned subsidiary of Thebe Investment Corporation (CLICK HERE), one of South Africa’s leading investment with stakes in tourism, mining resources, infrastructure, renewable energy, petrochemicals, telecommunications, financial services, and healthcare. Formed in 2001, TTG is the oldest black-empowered South African tourism group and has a significant portfolio in tourism and related industries ranging from attractions, hospitality, inbound and outbound tourism, group travel, car rental and business tourism.

According to their website, the Thebe Investment Corporation has various interesting shareholders:

To cut a long story short: According to a very recent ( 4 May 2019) NEWS ARTICLE (CLICK HERE), the Thebe Tourism Group bought a 50% share in Chief's Tented Camp.

IN OTHER WORDS: the company owing the company owning the KRUGER SHALATI Luxury (5 star) Train Accommodation near Skukuza, bought a significant share of 50% in the company Chiefs Tented Camp that exploits and operates the dubious Pop-up camp near Skukuza.

It seems SANParks has much more to explain then they are doing now :doh:
I hope this public information helps to explain the situation :thumbs_up:

[Alf]

Oh man oh man

Next time i visit Kruger i will have my clown suit on

[Richprins]

Excellent investigative work, GS!


ANC owns major stake in Thebe
2010-05-03 08:34

Johannesburg - The ANC has a controlling stake in the empowerment group Thebe Investment Corporation, which has shares in Vodacom, Shell SA Refinery, Altech Netstar, Kaya FM and Combined Motor Holdings, among others, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday.

Thebe was founded in 1992 by Batho Batho Trust as an ANC investment company. At the time Batho Batho Trust was its only shareholder, intended to "receive dividends" for the party, declare secret ANC documents found in an abandoned storeroom at the University of Fort Hare in die Eastern Cape. Last week the ANC blocked access to these documents.

The official position to date is that the Batho Batho Trust beneficiaries are historically disadvantaged individuals.

Thebe’s ownership structure has changed over the years to include investors like Absa Capital, Sanlam and Umhlomulo Equity Participation, the share scheme for Thebe workers.

The Batho Batho Trust currently owns about 51.7% of Thebe, which is invested in more than 41 companies, according to Thebe’s website.

- Sake24

https://www.fin24.com/Economy/ANC-owns- ... 503?cpid=1

[Richprins]

WATCH: The reason BEE trusts are under investigation
24 April 2019 - 09:39 Business Day TV


The Black Economic Empowerment Commission, which was set up in the department of trade and industry in 2017, has written to dozens of companies informing them of the need to rectify their ownership structure and undergo reverification of their BEE status or face investigation for fronting.

Among the trusts that could possibly be affected are those that form part of the most successful and oldest BEE vehicles such as Kagiso Trust, Wiphold Investment Trust, the Sactwu Investment Trust, the Royal Bafokeng Nation Trust and the Batho Batho Trust.

https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/compa ... stigation/

[Lisbeth]

Thank you very much, GS. Now everything is much clearer

[Lisbeth]

Every time somebody starts to dig into companies, where politicians or political parties are involved, they always find something rotten

[Flutterby]

GS!

[Richprins]

I've asked around a bit.

The two "owners" are quite experienced and have done a similar setup for a while in flower season in Namaqualand, not sure if in the Park there.

The camp will stand for two months at least.

The EIA/BAR is/was required, but it is at a different level as the structures are temporary.

The tender process was not duly followed.