Lodge dream in tatters

Kenya Kambowe

DIVUNDU



The owners of a lodge at Divundu in Kavango East have had their dream of a thriving business shattered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Louis and Amori Gerber, who own Shametu River Lodge on the banks of the Okavango River, yesterday narrated how their business has suffered financially.

They have had to lay off 20 workers and are now struggling to pay their debts.

The teary-eyed couple also expressed their disappointment with the way in which government has responded to the limping tourism sector.

They told Namibian Sun they anticipated that 2020 would be their best year yet, since joining the industry a few years ago.



Cancelled bookings

They have had to cancel bookings and pay back deposits, despite lowering their prices during the lockdown period to attract locals.

The couple said business has been awful.

They receive no visitors during the week, while very few bookings are made for weekends, they said.

“To be honest with you, business is bad. This pandemic has brought our business to its knees.”

“It is sad to see people whom you worked with for years and having cared for as family now unemployed,” Amori said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Some even got angry with us when we had to let them go, but we had no other option. We did so much for them and they heavily depended on us and letting them go was not easy.”



'Where should we get

money?'

“We were urged not to lay off workers, but the question which needs to be addressed is: where should we get the money to pay the workers?

Government is just concerned about the unemployment that's at stake, but not the closure of businesses.

“Our monthly needs have not changed,” the couple fumed.

The Gerbers said what added fuel to the fire was a recent statement by President Hage Geingob, who during a press conference remarked that if potential tourists are not willing to subject themselves to the 14-day quarantine period, they should stay away.

Late last month, Namibian Sun reported that government had set a plan in motion to open the country's borders during stage five of the Covid-19 lockdown, expected to take effect from 18 September.

There was also a grand plan to revive the local tourism sector between 15 July and 15 August by allowing foreigners from a low-risk country to enter Namibia, but this has been delayed.



Community upliftment

The couple told Namibian Sun about a number of projects they engaged in to uplift the community. One of the projects was the procurement of an electricity transformer, which they had to take a loan from the bank for.

“We did something government failed to do for the people, and now as we face a crisis, we are not being assisted. Is that really fair?”

“Why is it normal for the country to be in a crisis, yet the service providers did not reduce their prices?” they asked, while suggesting that service providers and state-owned enterprises lower their prices.

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