The Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park
iSimangaliso World Heritage Site
After 18 years of dismantling the structures that glued together a 100 year Old Game Reserve he finally decided to step down leaving a failed multi million Rand rehabilitation project to sort out. No more structures in place to honor the negotiations that was entered into by the local communities over the past 50 years.
Natal Parks Board was put in place by the founding fathers, George Hughes, Ian Player and Nollie Zaloumis. a Very well manage and thriving Wetlands Park was glued together by people who loved the Zulu Heritage and The Cultural interaction that grew during Apartheid with the Park.
All this Glue is gone at the end of the area. Now we stuck with no knowledge and skills on the ground to sort out who promised who what and who owns what. This was built into the very core of the Organisation now called Ezemvelo Wild Life. An Organisation that lost all their "troops" on the ground and sitting with a top heavy infra structure and no Government Support.
The Lies
Andrew Zaloumis did not teach any crafters. a Zulu Crafter is painstakingly taught by generations to produce Zulu Arts and Crafts. Not by a white man sitting in an office. This is one of the biggest lies I have read in Mass Media. Further did Andrew Zaloumis not train one tour guide. I wonder how many was trained by Park funds. a Tour Guide is self taught and only tested for their skills level. Bringing people on the same page during the height of the Tourist season is crippling the Industry not promoting it.
Bully Tactics
Andrew Zaloumis used terrestrial in house Park Rules to bully Recreational Ski Boat Anglers out of their RIGHT to fish for bottom fish. He tried and failed to increase the Marine Reserve yet he allowed people to fish in "sacred" ground that was proclaimed by very wise people from a generation preceding him.
He assisted Tour Operators to bully small boats of the water while they sneak documentation past the authorities to under write their vessels and vehicles that should not be allowed to past concession requirements. He inflated concession fees to the point it is no longer affordable for Tourist Traveling from Cape Town to the Park. This very unique pricing structure has killed the Domestic Tourist Market to St Lucia Estuary. The very market that laid the foundation to the very Industry that the mass media so proudly claimed he built.
In fact post 1999 no new amenities has been created for St Lucia Wetland Park. Many has died down and closed up.
Lost of Education Centre
Under Andrew Zaloumis the Education Center was closed down at iPhiva Camp Site and a one man show horse operation has no full control over this once thriving much needed Industry that shaped young minds into becoming nature lovers. Teaching the young generation on how to have a family holiday with in a Conservation Area.
Thank You for that over sight Andrew. We much appreciated it.
There is so many more things to lay before this mean mans feet, but I will cut my ranting and raving short right now and do some constructive Work building sustainable community projects that does not need World Renown Rewards to thrive ....
By
Petrus (Bierpens) Viviers
0835847473
petrusviv@gmail.com
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