Namibia Wildlife Resorts has taken tourism minister Pohamba Shifeta to court over his decision to grant rights to a hospitality company to operate a passenger train to Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, which will allegedly result in the closure of some roads.
According to NWR’s managing director Matthias Ngwangwama, they were sidelined by Shifeta when he failed to inform them that he was considering the issue.
He also failed to give NWR an opportunity to make presentations before he took the decision.
“The minister had not followed an equitable, transparent and competitive process in granting the concession,” said Ngwangwama in court documents. Shifeta had on 19 March 2020 granted concession rights to Sky Eye Tour and Hospitality to operate a tethered helium balloon as well as construct and operate a motorised transport system in the form of a train in Sossusvlei.
The motorised transport system will cover approximately four kilometres, starting where the tarred road ends.
This section of the road to Sossusvlei and the Deadvlei area is only reachable by 4x4 vehicles.
This part of the road will be closed off to all vehicles, and tourists
would be transported exclusively by train.
NWR claims that not only were they not consulted, but the passenger train will also affect 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.
Ngwangwama said because of its untouched beauty and desolated nature, Sossusvlei is a prime tourist destination. However, all that is in danger if a passenger train railway is constructed. This, he said, might decrease the number of tourists who want to experience the natural beauty. NWR has asked the court to condone their late filing of the application, and set aside the minister’s decision.
The ministry has not yet replied, but has since noted their intention to defend the application.
The matter has been postponed to 5 December before High Court Judge Herman Oosthuizen for case management.
-mamakali@nepc.com.na