LUXURY hotels in Johannesburg’s Sandton neighbourhood have asked guests to give up their bookings and to make way for foreign dignitaries attending Nelson Mandela’s funeral and memorial service.
Despite assurances that South Africa, which successfully hosted the 2010 Soccer World Cup tournament, would pull off Mandela’s funeral, this appeared to indicate the extent to which some of the world’s well-heeled and well-known had turned up to bid farewell to Mandela.
The Radisson Blu hotel, located opposite the Gautrain station in the city’s commercial centre, wrote to "valued clients" to tell them that their booking would be cancelled, according to a letter seen by Bloomberg News.
"We will need to release your booking with us," the hotelier said in a letter to customers. "There is no accommodation available in the area due to all the foreign dignitaries that will occupy the various properties and security in the area will not allow for corporate travel."
Hotels in the country have been inundated with requests for accommodation, with some being booked to capacity. "The number here is unprecedented," said Clayson Monyela, spokesman for the Department of International Relations and Co-operation.
"This is the largest gathering of world leaders in the world, ever. It is a massive operation."
Mr Monyela said the department had block-booked accommodation in advance.
The Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton also experienced increased bookings but reservations manager Elmarie Fritz said they only filled available rooms. "It is sad, but it is a one-time occasion and shouldn’t be turned into a money-making scheme."
The CEO of hospitality and property consultancy HTI Consulting Wayne Troughton, said while the security demands for hosting a head of state could be high, it was not standard practice for hotels to cancel the bookings of existing guests. He warned about the effect this might have on future business.
In yet another sign of strain, Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane on Monday urged foreign heads of state and dignitaries not to attend the burial at Qunu, in the Eastern Cape, on Sunday. Although they would not be stopped from attending, they would be advised not to.
"Nobody will be prevented from attending ... however, given the size and the scale of the operation and the size of the delegation and the limited infrastructure in the area, we advise (against it)," Mr Chabane said.
The venue in Qunu could take only 5,000 people. But more than 5,000 are expected to attend.
Mr Chabane said because the site was in the bush, the facilities in the area would not be able to accommodate the numbers. Foreign guests should "take that advice very seriously".
Airspace restrictions have been put in place around Mthatha Airport. The airport will be used only by heads of state, and all flights into the airport will need to have military authorisation.
From Friday, no commercial flights will be allowed to use the airport except the scheduled SA Airlink and chartered flights, which will be under the control of the South African Air Force.
"VVIPs and VIPs landing at Mthatha airport will be ferried to Qunu by special Midi bus services," Department of Transport spokesman Tiyani Rikhotso said.
However, despite the logistical nightmares, South Africans and the world yesterday continued paying homage to Mandela.
Political divisions took a back seat in Parliament on Monday as leaders across all parties paid tribute to Mandela, agreeing that a failure to protect South Africa’s freedom would be to betray his legacy.
The sombre atmosphere in a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces was in sharp contrast to recent fractious exchanges where the African National Congress and opposition parties clashed over who best protected the Mandela legacy.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, who introduced the debate, said Mandela was a man of mythic proportions, and the challenge for the nation was how to carry his legacy forward. "The litmus test, however, is whether … heirs to his vision and adherents to his philosophy, will be able to make his dream, for which he lived, come to pass in the fullness of time.
"After the outpouring of grief, the celebration and reflection on Nelson Mandela’s life, we will have to answer the question of how we advance that dream ."
Western Cape Premier and leader of the Democratic Alliance Helen Zille said of Mandela: "His most famous phrase was ‘ long walk to freedom ’, which is also the title of his autobiography. That destination is not yet reached.
"It never is. Ahead of us still lies a long walk to freedom that each South African can use to improve their lives.
"Freedom you can use is freedom fulfilled. On Tuesday, millions of South Africans have formal freedoms, but still cannot use them to improve their lives because they lack the education, the security, the health and the means to do so."
Congress of the People leader Mosiuoa Lekota recalled the leadership Mr Mandela provided the nation when the Chris Hani was assassinated. "Mandela became the leader South Africa never had.
"He calmed the people. He drove the negotiating process.
"He assumed the presidency in the name of the people. He became the first people’s president.
"He worked, with his Madiba magic, to realise his ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons lived together in harmony with equal opportunities ."
Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi said Mandela’s cherished dream of reconciliation was not complete. His old-style honesty was greatly admired.
Mr Buthelezi reminded the house that Mandela described himself not as a saint "but as a sinner who keeps on trying".
With Bloomberg
US President Barack Obama steps from his limo to board Air Force One as he departs Joint Base Andrews in Washington en route to Johannesburg on Monday. Picture: REUTERS
LUXURY hotels in Johannesburg’s Sandton neighbourhood have asked guests to give up their bookings and to make way for foreign dignitaries attending Nelson Mandela’s funeral and memorial service.
Despite assurances that South Africa, which successfully hosted the 2010 Soccer World Cup tournament, would pull off Mandela’s funeral, this appeared to indicate the extent to which some of the world’s well-heeled and well-known had turned up to bid farewell to Mandela.
The Radisson Blu hotel, located opposite the Gautrain station in the city’s commercial centre, wrote to "valued clients" to tell them that their booking would be cancelled, according to a letter seen by Bloomberg News.
"We will need to release your booking with us," the hotelier said in a letter to customers. "There is no accommodation available in the area due to all the foreign dignitaries that will occupy the various properties and security in the area will not allow for corporate travel."
Hotels in the country have been inundated with requests for accommodation, with some being booked to capacity. "The number here is unprecedented," said Clayson Monyela, spokesman for the Department of International Relations and Co-operation.
"This is the largest gathering of world leaders in the world, ever. It is a massive operation."
Mr Monyela said the department had block-booked accommodation in advance.
The Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton also experienced increased bookings but reservations manager Elmarie Fritz said they only filled available rooms. "It is sad, but it is a one-time occasion and shouldn’t be turned into a money-making scheme."
The CEO of hospitality and property consultancy HTI Consulting Wayne Troughton, said while the security demands for hosting a head of state could be high, it was not standard practice for hotels to cancel the bookings of existing guests. He warned about the effect this might have on future business.
In yet another sign of strain, Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane on Monday urged foreign heads of state and dignitaries not to attend the burial at Qunu, in the Eastern Cape, on Sunday. Although they would not be stopped from attending, they would be advised not to.
"Nobody will be prevented from attending ... however, given the size and the scale of the operation and the size of the delegation and the limited infrastructure in the area, we advise (against it)," Mr Chabane said.
The venue in Qunu could take only 5,000 people. But more than 5,000 are expected to attend.
Mr Chabane said because the site was in the bush, the facilities in the area would not be able to accommodate the numbers. Foreign guests should "take that advice very seriously".
Airspace restrictions have been put in place around Mthatha Airport. The airport will be used only by heads of state, and all flights into the airport will need to have military authorisation.
From Friday, no commercial flights will be allowed to use the airport except the scheduled SA Airlink and chartered flights, which will be under the control of the South African Air Force.
"VVIPs and VIPs landing at Mthatha airport will be ferried to Qunu by special Midi bus services," Department of Transport spokesman Tiyani Rikhotso said.
However, despite the logistical nightmares, South Africans and the world yesterday continued paying homage to Mandela.
Political divisions took a back seat in Parliament on Monday as leaders across all parties paid tribute to Mandela, agreeing that a failure to protect South Africa’s freedom would be to betray his legacy.
The sombre atmosphere in a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces was in sharp contrast to recent fractious exchanges where the African National Congress and opposition parties clashed over who best protected the Mandela legacy.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, who introduced the debate, said Mandela was a man of mythic proportions, and the challenge for the nation was how to carry his legacy forward. "The litmus test, however, is whether … heirs to his vision and adherents to his philosophy, will be able to make his dream, for which he lived, come to pass in the fullness of time.
"After the outpouring of grief, the celebration and reflection on Nelson Mandela’s life, we will have to answer the question of how we advance that dream ."
Western Cape Premier and leader of the Democratic Alliance Helen Zille said of Mandela: "His most famous phrase was ‘ long walk to freedom ’, which is also the title of his autobiography. That destination is not yet reached.
"It never is. Ahead of us still lies a long walk to freedom that each South African can use to improve their lives.
"Freedom you can use is freedom fulfilled. On Tuesday, millions of South Africans have formal freedoms, but still cannot use them to improve their lives because they lack the education, the security, the health and the means to do so."
Congress of the People leader Mosiuoa Lekota recalled the leadership Mr Mandela provided the nation when the Chris Hani was assassinated. "Mandela became the leader South Africa never had.
"He calmed the people. He drove the negotiating process.
"He assumed the presidency in the name of the people. He became the first people’s president.
"He worked, with his Madiba magic, to realise his ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons lived together in harmony with equal opportunities ."
Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi said Mandela’s cherished dream of reconciliation was not complete. His old-style honesty was greatly admired.
Mr Buthelezi reminded the house that Mandela described himself not as a saint "but as a sinner who keeps on trying".
With Bloomberg
