![Once a jewel of tourism, Mpumalanga lodge is now in ruins [PICS] | The Citizen](https://i.headtopics.com/images/2023/5/20/thecitizen-news/once-a-jewel-of-tourism-mpumalanga-lodge-is-now-in-once-a-jewel-of-tourism-mpumalanga-lodge-is-now-in-1659812448499539970.webp)
😢💔🌳 Without the skills to run the business, community members depended on potential investors but were taken for a ride. Read more on TheCitizenNews ⤵️
Once luxurious Cybele Forest Lodge and Health Spa, which used to be a world-class tourist destination, and was given to Manzimhlophe community by Land Claims Commission is now ruined, 17 May 2023. Picture: Sbongumenzi Sibiya/The Citizen
Tucked away deep in a timber forest of White River, about 30 minutes’ drive from Mbombela, is what used to be a five-star facility, with 14 suites and cottages used to offer guests, mainly international tourists, sheer luxury and comfort.The suites came with exclusive mini bars, heated towel rails, satellite TV, king-size beds, en suite bathrooms, with outside showers in some of the rooms, underfloor heating and fireplaces.
The thatched roofs of the suites and cottages have been replaced with corrugated iron sheets and some were simply stripped of the roof and left to the mercy of elements. This is exactly what the previous owners had foreseen would be the fate of the lodge that hired 45 people – some employed there for over 20 years.
The facility was abandoned again in 2016 and a new investor moved in last year. But already there is tension between the community and BLM Creations Management, the company with a 20-year lease to revive and run the lodge.
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