South Africa’s oldest tourist attraction could well be closing its doors due to a lack of adequate management, corruption and heavy financial losses.
As reported by Africa Geographic, R16 million was removed last year from the cave’s investment fund, resulting in the disbanding of its scientific committee, unpaid supplier accounts and other problems stemming from this – the attraction is at the brink of collapse because of this.
The Oudtshoorn municipality is currently locked in a major tussle between the DA and the ANC, bringing unrest to the Karoo town as well as inadequate management of its major attraction. That R16 million was supposedly spent on renovations and upkeep of the Cango Caves, but no changes have materialized since – leaking roofs and broken toilets are among many of the fixes needed. More urgently is the lack of spending on new ways to reduce human impact on the caves, a necessity needed for the longevity of them.
It saddens me to read about the situation. When politics starts affecting a major tourist attraction, there is a serious problem.
Read more here.
Photography Bev Klein
Keagan Petersen
Why???
That is so sad to hear. Doesn’t everyone go there at least once in their lifetime?!
New South Africa…
It’s so sad – what corruption is doing to our beautiful country!!
This is outrageous!!! Why is this political bantering and childishness allowed to close down such an incredible, world-renowned tourist attraction; unacceptable!!! So glad we there last year, remembering how jacked up we thought it was. If we think this is bad, spare a thought about what’s happening in Cairo and all those incredible tourist attractions that are being trashed; the world is a frightful mess!! So sad!!
Don’t Panic just yet!!…Heard on 567 there’s a Possible Solution on the Horizon…and and audit and Bailout on the way!!…heard a figure of a couple of Millions/Corruption/Tender Fraud etc …to be sorted out by Gov. “YAWN”!!….Just for a Change!!..U0001f1ffU0001f1e6U0001f44eU0001f3fbU0001f631
I would love to read the articles but the ads covering half the article is so annoying
What else can you expect?
http://ewn.co.za/2015/07/06/Concerns-raised-as-millions-go-missing-at-Cango-Caves – ANC stole the money – what’s new…
Natural tourist attractions downed by the ruling party of the country. We are sliding into the abyss of self-destruction and very fast too!!!
Hi Anette – thanks for bringing this to our attention. Can you please advise how you are viewing the article, phone or computer? If phone, which one? If computer, which browser? We’d like to get this fixed asap. Thanks! 🙂
Greed is destroying our country!
Such a shame, Cango caves are awesome we saw them at their best in 1992 for the first time and many times after. I guess we have been very lucky, I hope they realise what the country is loosing before it is too late.
How sad that such a thing could happen!
Whatever the ANC touches turns to dust …..
Local municipalities should never be given the purse strings of national heritage sites
O noooo
I would say that it is the natives of south Africa that are closing the cañgo. Caves
Da has won in Outshoorn anc won’t vacate the seats in town council.. .. probably because the theft of monies will come to light…
Oh no!! This is devastating
Oh NO!!!!
Unfortunate U0001f44e
Sad day !!
We should chase ANC out of the Western Cape and make it a country on its own.
Sal so jammer wees as dit ook die slagoffer van politiek word.
Our statues now our caves !
Because anc rule! They will bring this country down.
http://m.ewn.co.za/2015/07/09/Cango-Caves-gets-back-its-millions
Baie bly ek was al daar vandat ons vanaf Oos-Londen weg is. Ons het self aanskou hoe die plek agteruitgegaan het met al die familie wat ons daarheen geneem het.
Is this news still current ? Thought the funds were returned.
I don’t agree that politics is affecting this tourist attraction – this is nothing more than incompetence and corruption.
That is a great pity.
It would appear that 16 million has found its way back into the Cango Cave coffers.
This is so wrong! Corruption kills this country!
Firefox on laptop – Windows 7 –
on tablet it’s fine – will read from here 😉
I agree a natural wonder being misused by incompetent thieving idiots
Nick Josh Green
Hermanus & Haydon: Perhaps time for a last visit…
Facebook app for iPhone
Verry good idea…was there 3 years ago…could not beleve the detereration…should never have opened it to the public in the 1st place…?
O no…..that is a disaster
Oh NO………………. what next………….. seems like SA is shutting down. Please God we need a miracle to save our heritage.
Alibaba and his thieves at it again. The ANC must go before the country falls apart
Once again lack of maintenance
Thank you very much! Will look into this 🙂
Eldrid Muller
Sad
This is so sad
That is sad…our children will be missing out on one of oldest heritage sites….
Good. Give them time to recover.
Just like everything else in this country!
Is the initiations going to take place there instead of Table mountain now
This must stop. Come on DA. If a person is found guilty of theft you go to prison. Its always such red tape with the ANC. Suspension etc. And then a new job . PEOPLE MUST BE FIRED AND PROSECUTED.
Where’s Olive Schreiner when you need her to write The Story of an African Downfall?
The caves have been there HOW long? And the current administration HOW long? Pour a nice Merlot and look at the sky.
Couldnt agree more!
Thankfully I have been to caves too many times I cannot even count but so sad that it might have to close only because of stealing money just sickens me
To many ANC theft have power ,and – N1 SA President mr Zuma, he destroy so beutiful country ‼️
Isn’t this part of our heritage
… because all the tourists are going to view the bunkers at Nkandla…!
As a site you have stolen Cape etc. Your news is rehashed. ..fug off
So sad whats happening .. All the corruption…
Corruption like everything else …
Bruceps ‘More urgently is the lack of spending on new ways to reduce human impact on the caves’
Closing it wld solve at least 1 problem 🙁
Helen Butler
Incompetence at its best.
And they still have the blatant nerve to try and hang on to that municipality after the pathetic mess they have done.
Again they are linked to the popular word: corruption.
Anc monkeys as always wow when will it end
Bruceps Always follow the money, find where the R16m went and you’ll find out how it’s possible #corruption #anc#cronies
The ANC in Oudthoorn should be forced to hand the town over to the DA and they would save the caves.
DA one the local elections last week and some how the old ANC council returned the 16000000 to the caves account with no real explanation as to how or why it was taken so the caves OK
Wtf,they should charge cheaper entry fee.
ANC are a bunch of thieving thugs
So sick and tired of corruption!! They are destroying our beautiful country…..
In actual fact the DA won the last elections, but the ANC won’t move out!
Well we hope the DA finally take this over properly
Paliouris Léah Marie
Bruceps Kleptocracy. Even stealing our national heritage
Mabe the D.A..Should close Robbin Elland.. It’s a shambles.. An eye for an eye..
All political parties are rubbish and a waste of money!
Very sad, current government is destroying tourism slowly but surely.
Quite sad….. Should be held accountable!
Sad…
No! I haven’t even been yet!
They need to invent a SUPER LIKE button just for this post!!
Terrible
Jailkop Zoomat and cronies.Viva!…Viva!..,notLong live!Not long live!
Bruceps When No. 1 promised a radical second transition, he wasn’t joking. The meltdown is just starting.
Bruceps I’m amazed you are surprised.
So wrong. Cannot let this go! For us and for the visitors to our shores, this must be curated and opened to the people.
on nooo! so sad
No – this can’t happen!
That would be so sad – I have such fond memories of going there in the 70’s.
Matthew Brian Schoonraad a aah man but we still need to go!
Everybody who has seen the caves must protest so everyone who hasn’t seen the caves can see them in the future!
Just one word — S i e s!!!
blame ANC
This is so sad to heat
Sickening!
mjlindeque Bruceps my daughter only learnt stalagtites and stalagmites last year and it was at the #CangoCaves
This is crazy!
Run into the ground like everything else.
fit4thabo Bruceps I suspect National Treasury will bail them out.
Oh no and I haven’t even been
mjlindeque Bruceps with what? Too many big tickets to fix, with Strategic as a prefix to their names. What happened to the R16mil?
caves..I made over millions of years…. closed.. as it needed human maintenance… interesting…. no money no visits… to a piece of nature
Mismanagement of funds by the local ANC municipality Dean.
This saddens me greatly. One of my best childhood memories. I hope I get to show my children one day…
When will the next election take place? Hopefully the next government would have learnt from all these mistakes? Beautiful South Africa has so much to offer the touring world.
Haven’t even visited the place yet .. No ways they can’t close it.. Wait for me !!!
unbelievable sad!!!!!!!
Been there a few times amazing site to see!
Justin Webb
Part of my child and adulthood memories.
Sebastian
Political nonsense interfering with natural beauty. Grow up, little men.
Patrick McGivern
True that……and charge ANC a hefty fee for visiting our beautiful province. ANTI ANC
Jp Schutte
Sadly politics is killing our country
Very sad indeed
Try Firefox Anette Du Preez – I agree Gail
What was that song by Cyndi Lauper “I see your true colors….”
How disappointing
I can’t help thinking about the centuries’ old buildings abroad still open for viewing and some of them in splendid condition. The ANC can take that as an example …
Obviously Another Notorious Criminal manages this.
Corruption aka ANC is the root of destruction
Oh no! Please Not!
South Africa is really getting to be a very SAD place to live in…!
This is absolutely rediculous !!!
a very sad day
Enjoy the sky while u can befour ANC steal that too….
The letters ANC appear in the word cANCer. Coincidence? I think not! There have been no “heavy financial losses” at the caves. There has been heavy financial theft by the cANCer. If it works for the Chief Thief, why shouldn’t the rest of the thieves have a go?
Why on earth,like we don’t own the waterfront,Russia wants to buy Simons town docks and if they can sell table mountain they would,what next
That will be sad something should be done to prevent it
Oh no! That is very sad news!!
Ah no man!
Another ANC achievement
Disgusting mismanagement
There we go again… stuffing up what used to work all because of people’s greed “lack of adequate management and corruption”!
That would be a total loss to humanity and to the Garden Route tourism
What next in this country? The ruling party is seriously destroying this beautiful country!! What a sad day…
TRAGIC!!
What next!!
Well done Steven in pointing out the cANCer . The sooner the cANCer is cured we will all be happy.
Same old same old!
Due to lack of interest South Africa is closed
What a pity come DA show your teeth and protect our nature as the ANC can only destoy and will not protect for our future generations
it would be so sad if it has to be closed – I ‘ve seen them 2011 and they are so beautiful!