Kruger Park hands 6-month deal to restaurateur

The restaurant facilities at Letaba‚ Satara and Olifants rest camps at the Kruger National Park will be operational under new management from this week.

"Subsequent to the resolution of the dispute that existed between South African National Parks (SANParks) and Ringgold‚ the company that managed the restaurants in the Kruger National Park (KNP)’s Satara‚ Olifants and Letaba rest camps‚ SANParks has appointed one of the companies that are currently managing other restaurants in the park to manage these three facilities on temporary basis for the next six months while the tender process to find new operators is being undertaken‚" the park announced in a statement on Wednesday.

Letaba will be operational from today‚ December 13‚ while Satara will operate from tomorrow and Olifants from Friday.

“All of our accommodations are equipped with kitchen and braai facilities should visitors to the three rest camps wish to self-cater. We thank you for your patience during this time and we do apologise to our visitors for the current inconvenience that was caused over the last couple of months‚” said SANParks managing executive for tourism development and marketing‚ Hapiloe Sello.

Since March‚ the Kruger National Park has been engaged in a legal process to terminate the Mugg & Bean and Debonairs Pizza branches that had been operating in the three camps. It recently cut electricity to the ex-franchisee‚ after a dispute about it "not upholding standards".