Kudu Awards - Website Community Choice Award 2019

[DinkyBird]

Dear SANParks forum members

This is YOUR chance, as a member of the SANParks forums, to reward excellence in the SANParks workplace.

The Kudu Awards ceremony will be held later this year. Media Release: Become a hero for Conservation today - Enter the Kudu Awards 2019

The Website Community Choice Award is for an individual for exceptional service in the workplace, who is nominated, and voted for, on the SANParks Web Forums and website by SANParks Web Forum members and SANParks online fans. . This award can provide deserved recognition for some of the unsung heroes in the parks (whether they are online or not).

The Kudu Awards, which is aimed at recognising excellent contributions to conservation by external stakeholders, is open to public contributions and has always been and I would like to encourage you to throw in your lot before the closing date. The Chief Executive Award, however, which is aimed at rewarding and recognising excellent performance by SANParks staff members and is part of the umbrella that is called Kudu Awards for logistical reasons, is one that has not been open to public participation.

This website forumite category then is one that is aimed at giving our valued stakeholders an opportunity to choose the person they consider to have been the best service provider to the public within SANParks as our staff cannot be chosen for the external Kudu Award.

I must also add that members of our Executive Management do not qualify for a Chief Executive Award and may not be nominated in this category either, in case you were considering anyone of them.

Please note that SANParks Communications personnel at Groenkloof, and in the Clusters/Parks, also do not qualify for nomination for the WCCA.

Please read the Rules and Guidelines below on how to nominate and how to vote.

Once the nominations are all in, they will be listed on the website and a voting process will take place where you, the SANParks Forum member and Online fan, can cast your vote on the website for the nominee of your choice.

All nominees, motivations and the results of the voting process will be submitted to the Kudu Award Panel for final adjudication.

Rules and Guidelines

Timelines:
Nominations will close at midnight CAT on 2 September 2019

Voting will begin on 3 September 2019 and will close at 13:00 CAT on 15 September 2019

Who is eligible to nominate:
1. All registered SANParks Forum members who registered on the Forums before midnight 21 August 2019.

2. Forum moderators/Assistants may not nominate.

Nomination process:
1. Please remember to provide
- the full name of the person you are nominating,
- the park that they are stationed at and,
- your motivation for why you are nominating them.

Please ask the moderators for assistance if you do not have the full name of the person you wish to nominate.

2. Post your nomination on this topic. You may nominate as many candidates you feel worthy of a nomination. If the candidate of your choice has already been nominated by another forum member, you may nominate them again. Being nominated for this award is an honour, so let us honour these deserving people.

3. Post each candidate/nomination in a separate post.

4. No discussion nor chit chat is allowed in this topic.

5. Any evidence of lobbying or canvassing for nominations and/or votes for, or on behalf, of a nominee, will result in the nominee being disqualified.

Qualification for nomination:
1. Personnel in the Communication department of SANParks and SANParks Executive Management may not be nominated.

2. Only SANParks employees qualify for nomination.

Voting process:
1. All nominees will be placed on a 'ballot list' on the website in alphabetical order.

2. A quick registration to vote will be needed.

3. Only one vote per voter.

4. The link and further information will be published once the voting process opens.

Should you have any questions please PM any of the forum moderators.

[Mischief]

I wish to nominate Brigitte Bagley from SANParks Groenkloof.
On a problematic booking which I was totally at sea about...she helped me navigate my way through the entire procedure. I have the booking I originally wanted,she sorted out some of my own truly masterful errors in an extremely professional and capable manner. She excels at people skills and put me at ease from the word go. Her friendliness and humbleness when thanked profusely by myself was absolutely refreshing. I have been told she is an absolute ace at booking trails as well.

She is an asset to SANParks and worthy of a nomination for this award.

[George_Brits]

I want to nominate Reginald Christiaan from Namaqua National Park. During a recent visit to Skilpad, the geyser circuit breaker kept tripping. It was late afternoon on a saturday. I reported it to reception and Reginald drove out to the chalet.

It seemed that geyser element has gone bust. He indicated that he will get someone to repair. Later the evening (after work hours) Reginald drove to the unit informing us that an electrician will visit on the sunday.

On the sunday morning Reginald spotted my vehicle at the little farm restaurant at Skilpad, and he apologised for the inconvenience, and later during the day, he was at the unit the whole time while the electrician repaired the geyser. Om sunday evening he stopped again at the unit to make sure that everything is working. And again on the monday he asked if everything is still ok

The dedication and stellar service received from Reginald will never be forgotten.

Thank you, Reginald, for your hard work and dedication

[Mafuta B]

I would like to nominate a very special group of people for the Community Choice Award

The Kruger National Park Environmental Crimes Investigation Team is a group of four individuals that process crime scenes every single day.
In the past year they have processed more than 500 poaching scenes and in the history of the unit they have never had a question against their evidence in court.
Over the past four years they have processed more scenes than almost any policeman in the world numbering into the thousands of poaching scenes.

These people work every day facing scenes that takes a heavy toll on a person. Not only in the physically demanding terrain and extreme heat but also on the emotional well being of a person. Seeing this kind of destruction on a daily basis takes a special kind of person to keep going.

These guys do their work in silence. The admins know the names of the four individuals but we cannot even name them individually due to concerns for their safety. Often when one sees a picture of a *** carcass and there is a person who's face is blurred out it is most likely one of them.

Every day they do this job that gives no recognition and they continue to fight every single day without letup.

These guys are true legends and we cannot even name them out of concern for their safety as they receive death threats and intimidation.

I believe that these guys deserve this award as a group. I could not distinguish one from the other so I am nominating them as a group in the Community Choice awards.

[PNF]

I would like to nominate the unsung heroes and heroines in Shingwedzi camp, Kruger Park whose job it is to clean up after us visitors. These members of the Housekeeping staff are always smiling, helpful and do their thankless jobs efficiently and swiftly. From those who clean the communal ablutions to those who clean the camp grounds (especially those braai stands!) and to those who make certain that every bungalow/chalet is spotless.............a big thank you! There are too many men and women to name individually but they all deserve recognition.

[salamanda]

I would like to nominate the staff who run the entry gate at Crocodile bridge. We entered through this gate every day for a week and there were large queues each day. The staff were efficient, fast and good-humoured in the face of sometimes annoyed or aggressive tourists and vehicles in the wrong lane and I admired their professionalism and pleasant manner enormously. Kudos to them! (And maybe a Kudu!)

[natuurliefhebber]

I want to nominate Rodgerh from Tsendze camp. Rodgerh is a fantastic person who is just an asset to Sanparks. Always helping people and taking responsibility for Tsendze and its campers. Always posting the most amazing photos on the Sanparks - Kruger fb page and interacting with the fb page visitors. Indeed always friendly and helpful. If I can go and fetch the sun, the moon and the stars for Rodgerh I will indeed do it.

[ngala]

I would like to nominate the very friendly man, Joseph Khoza ( who tends the Makhadzi Picnic Spot. I only visit the park once a year but every time I have visited Makhadzi,the place is spotless and clean
And above all he is a true artist & a master in recycling by crafting the most beautiful flower arrangements, lanterns, candle- and pen holders from all the discarded cold-drink cans & bottles that people leave behind at the picnic spot.
The Ice-tea flower arrangement I brought home to Belgium, reminds me daily of this little gem Makhadzi, run by a wonderful man who takes much pride in his work and who I think deserves an award.

Gerda

[Mischief]

Another very deserving employee of a nomination for this award is Serakane Keetse who works at Satara Rest Camp but has also worked for a considerable time at Orpen. She has provided invaluable service to visitors and always gone the extra mile .

This is supported by the links below :

https://web.facebook.com/groups/kruger. ... 225816456/

https://web.facebook.com/groups/kruger. ... 376141456/

viewtopic.php?p=2647247#p2647247

[RosemaryH]

I would like to nominate the very friendly man, Joseph (not sure of his surname, have asked a moderator) who tends the Makhadzi Picnic Spot.

ngala - It is Joseph Khoza

[Michiel_P]

Another very deserving employee of a nomination for this award is Serakane Keetse who works at Satara Rest Camp but has also worked for a considerable time at Orpen. She has provided invaluable service to visitors and always gone the extra mile .

This is supported by the links below :

https://web.facebook.com/groups/kruger. ... 225816456/

https://web.facebook.com/groups/kruger. ... 376141456/

viewtopic.php?p=2647247#p2647247

I second this.

[Philip1]

I want to nominate Rodgerh from Tsendze camp. Rodgerh is a fantastic person who is just an asset to Sanparks. Always helping people and taking responsibility for Tsendze and its campers. Always posting the most amazing photos on the Sanparks - Kruger fb page and interacting with the fb page visitors. Indeed always friendly and helpful. If I can go and fetch the sun, the moon and the stars for Rodgerh I will indeed do it.

I agree with "natuurliefhebber" ...Rodgerh is always mentioned by members and people on the Forum, Facebook, etc. re the above and a magic PEOPLES person.
I am sorry i have not met him yet. One day hopefully i will.

[ngala]

I would like to nominate the very friendly man, Joseph (not sure of his surname, have asked a moderator) who tends the Makhadzi Picnic Spot.

ngala - It is Joseph Khoza

thanks Rosemary !

[Hawk]

I nominate Mr Phillip Mhlaba, Supervisor, Bateleur Bush Camp.

During our stay at the camp recently, Phillip came to our cottage each day to see if we were comfortable and everything was going well. When a team came to the camp to clean the leaves up, he again too the time to come to our cottage and explain to us who they were, and why they were in the camp. This extra touch of hospitality goes a long way. He has been at Bateleur for 22 years.

[DinkyBird]

Please note:- VOTING IS NOW OPEN - it is a quick and easy process, please vote!