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11 July 2014
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Fear lessl y the tr uth
Hotel “Nkandla”
Rain Queen’s R13 million abandoned hotel
The multi-million rand hotel built in honour of late Rain Queen Mokope Modjadji V — her own Nkandla, so to speak — is in a state of collapse before it could even start to be operated as a tourist attraction for the area. The Queen Modjadji V Hotel, as it is known, is situated at Lebyeng Mountain, about one kilometer from the Modjadji Royal Palace at Khetlhakoni outside Modjadjiskloof. It is also Chalets: Some of the chalets can be seen, only only a stone’s throw from the protected and just, among the trees and bushes that are not internationally acclaimed Modjadji Nature pruned and thus spoil the magnificent view to Reserve where the only Modjadji Cycad trees and from the hotel. in the world are to be viewed. The hotel was built at a cost of R13 million at the turn of the millennium. Part of the amount was donated by the late President Nelson Mandela after his courtesy visit to the late queen in 1998. Construction was finally completed about ten years ago, but the hotel still has to be officially opened. Sadly, however, it will need quite a bit of money to restore the neglected facilities that have
Conference Centre: Long grass and shrubs offer an ideal habitat for reptiles. The thatched roofs are deteriorating because it is not maintained and the monkeys also cause extensive damage to the roofs.
Electricity: Continued non-payment of electricity forced Eskom to switch off the electricity supply.
become dilapidated. The facility includes twenty chalets, a mini conference centre, parking bays, a swimming pool, a braai area etcetera. Sadly all these facilities have almost disappeared behind long grass, shrubs and trees. Security guards and locals say big snakes (possibly pythons and mambas) and a large troop of monkeys roam the place. The thatched roofs, especially the conference centre’s is getting worn out and dilapidated. A security guard who chose not to identify himself for fear of retribution, said “our lives are being threatened by big snakes which frequently move around long grass within the premises”. “The area is not safe, because it is very dark during the night. Eskom have switched off the electricity because of an unpaid electricity bill amounting to many thousands of rand”, he told us. He added that there is no water as the borehole on the premises does not function
APOLOGIE Die onlangse diefstal van Telkomkabels in Agathastraat en kort daarna in Peacestraat het ook die Bulletin se Telkomdiens vir langer as ‘n week ontwrig. Dit het probleme veroorsaak by ons slaafrekenaar en/of Internet-diensverskaffer, waardeur e-posse nie by ons afgelewer is nie. Ons weet nie hoeveel en van wie en presies waar die fout ingesluip het nie, maar ons kry toenemend navrae oor nuus, foto’s en veral ook kennisgewings vir ons “Events”-kolom wat na ons versend is maar ons nie bereik het nie. Alhoewel die probleem nie weens ons toedoen was nie en ook nie deur ons beheer kon word nie, vra ons nogtans om verskoning en kan inligting gerus steeds aan ons gestuur word (as dit nog toepaslik is). Vandag se ekstra dun koerant is ook weens ons werksaamhede die afgelope tyd om ons totale kommunikasieopset weer behoorlik op dreef te kry, op die vooraand van opwindende nuus oor ons nuwe interaktiewe webwerf wat eersdaags in gebruik sal kom (ons is reeds besig met toetslopies en dit gaan goed hiermee). Dankie vir u, ons getroue lesers en adverteerders, se geduld oor die afgelope weke. — Redakteur
(there is no electricity to drive the pump). Drinking water and water to wash with has to be fetched from nearby Kheopeng village. Modjadji Royal Spokesperson Phetole Mampeule said they have approached the new Minister of Tourism on matters concerning the hotel and they are waiting for a response. “There were still some minor issues which needed to be attended to. These matters, mainly about the premises, worried the chiefs under Modjadji’s jurisdiction,” Mampeule said. Approached for comment, the spokesperson for Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA), Mr Ntlhekeng Kgatla, said the facility is not under control of the Agency and it would be very hard for them to comment on anything. In the meantime the dilapidation causes any future expenditure to turn the hotel into a decent tourist facility, to grow by the month. — Report & photos: Michael Sakuneka michael@bulletin.us.com
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