Maria Amakali

Tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta has agreed to cancel the concession rights he granted to a local tourism company to build and operate a passenger train within Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park.

Sky Eye Tours and Hospitality, to whom the rights were granted, decided not to continue with the disputed project due to financial reasons.

The company is owned by businessman Laban Kandume.

Yesterday, High Court Judge Herman Oosthuizen ordered as per the agreement reached by the parties on 7 December that the concession rights awarded to Sky Eye Tours and Hospitality on 19 March 2020 to operate a Helium Balloon and Motorised Transport service at Sossusvlei in the Namib Naukluft Park, had been cancelled.

Furthermore, the review application against the minister’s decision has been withdrawn. Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) dragged the minister to court after Shifeta on 19 March 2020 granted concession rights to Sky Eye Tours and Hospitality to operate a tethered helium balloon, as well as to construct and operate a motorised transport system in the form of a train in Sossusvlei.

The motorised transport system was intended to cover approximately four kilometres, starting where the tarred road ends. This section of the road to the Sossusvlei and Deadvlei area is only reachable by 4x4 vehicles. This part of the road was to be closed off to all vehicles, and tourists would have been transported exclusively by train.

NWR wanted Shifeta’s decision reviewed and set aside. NWR claimed that not only were they not consulted, but the passenger train would also have affected their main revenue generation source. The company has been operating a shuttle service on that road since April 2010 and has made more than N$60 million in revenue to date, it claimed.

NWR argued that because of its untouched beauty and desolated nature, Sossusvlei is a prime tourist destination. However, all that was in danger if a passenger train railway was constructed. This might have decreased the number of tourists who want to experience natural beauty. For the suit, NWR was represented by Jaco Boltman, while Himeekua Ketjijere represented the ministry.

mamakali@nepc.com.na

Caption: (Dunes)

No disturbance… Sossusvlei, one of the major tourist attractions of Namibia, is located in the Namib-Naukluft National Park.

Photo: Nampa