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

[Richprins]

Mr Phillips doesn't have an immaculate record for knowing all...

Still a lot of water to flow under the bridge.

[pooky]

That water needs to flow very strongly from our side

I am also sure alot of the accommodation problems would
be alleviated if the Govt went back to staggered school
holidays. The last time I battled to get a booking the
girl I was dealing with said they had noticed that the
problems started when the school holidays were synchronised.

Hopefully the new booking arrangements announced by Sanparks
for next year will also point to there not being such a shortage
of accommodation as Glen seems to think. If the block bookings
were curtailed (which is the intention) it will make a big difference.

[Bushcraft]

Thanks pooky for this feedback and I tend to agree with you on the accommodation issue as outside of school holidays bookings are easily obtained.

[iNdlovu]

Mr Glenn Philips can say what he wants as do all the other SanParks senior management, but they still have to follow the laws of the land or risk the possibility of their monstrosity being demolished before anyone sleeps in a bed. We have interesting times ahead and it is not all plain sailing for SanParks, so Philips, I would suggest you stop shooting your mouth off.

[Richprins]

Accommodation shortage per se has never been mentioned as a reason for the Malelane hotel! First it was black diamonds, then tourists seeking a luxury experience, then foreign Radisson regulars...so don't give them ideas for a new excuse!

School holidays should become staggered again once the ruling party has finished its year-long party...

Spoke to V&L yesterday...various interesting developments!


The irony is that SanParks Management are a microcosm of Government...they have no concept of the idea that they are uttely in the service of the South African taxpayer and citizens, not the other way around!

They regard national parks as their property, which is a very difficult mindset to change! This applied to a large extent to the previous regime too, but there conservation was always uppermost!

[pooky]

One of the reasons Glen gave was the
shortage of accommadation - so he is obviously
backing that horse

[Bushcraft]

Accommodation shortage per se has never been mentioned as a reason for the Malelane hotel! First it was black diamonds, then tourists seeking a luxury experience, then foreign Radisson regulars...so don't give them ideas for a new excuse!

Have you filled in the recent “accommodation” survey RP SANParks are already following that route as the new “excuse” for hotels based on the questions in the survey IMO

[pooky]

Is that why the school holidays were synchronised?

So they could jump on the 'accommodation shortage'
band wagon

[Richprins]

No, the holidays were synchronised so that the ruling party could have its year-long celebrations...

[Richprins]

There has been no official progress regarding the hotels. The main reason is there has been no actual Government approval of the new zonation policies promoted by SanParks, despite their claims to the contrary.

The second reason is that the developer's last money was used for the scoping report, heralding the next phase of public input.

The third reason is that there is now no more money!


But anything is possible in our beknighted country! -O