Following the announcement made over the weekend by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the country will enter alert level 2 with effect from midnight, August 17 and the subsequent gazetting of the amended regulations, SANParks has clarified how it will manage overnight accommodation in its various national parks.
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This is according to SANParks’ chief executive officer, Fundisile Mketeni, who said as economic activities have been gradually reopening, a risk adjusted strategy has been at the core of every sector or industry planning in an effort to save lives.
“In dealing with the expected accommodation bookings influx, SANParks has aligned itself with a similar strategy for overnight bookings, particularly for interprovincial travellers to national parks.”
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Mketeni said the Gazette 43620, issued on August 17 stipulates that all accommodation establishments restrict the number of persons allowed to not more than 50 per cent of the facility.
“Practically this means that SANParks will be obligated to amend or cancel bookings in parks and camps that are currently booked beyond that capacity and in addition, to reject new bookings that may lead to operating above the regulated 50 per cent threshold.”
He said while SANParks understands the inconvenience and the frustration this might create, its reservations team are on hand to assist with regards to reallocating bookings from one camp to another within the same park to ensure that it is operating in adherence to the law at all times.
According to Mketeni, in instances where a booking that has been paid for has to be cancelled, SANParks will apply a transparent and fair process of LIFO (last in, first out) principle, “implying that the person that booked earlier will receive preference over someone who booked later.”
He said affected guests will be contacted and offered alternative facilities or alternative dates, “and no guests will be charged cancellation fees if an eventual cancellation occurs and is due to Covid-19-related circumstances.”
In conclusion, Mketeni said this time has called on every person to make individual and collective sacrifices in minimising the risk of the spread of Covid-19. He urged guests to the national parks to appreciate that the regulations and SANParks’ own protocols, as inconvenient as they might seem, play a part in a greater and common good.
