A just celebration of a legend
TSITSIKAMMA - At SANParks' 17th annual Kudu Awards held on 30 November at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, late SANParks ranger and legend of the Tsitsikamma Section of Garden Route National Park Oom Popo Scott was posthumously given the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Though Oom Popo is no longer with us, the award is a well-deserved acknowledgment of his unrivalled work ethic and tireless efforts that contributed to the management of the Tsitsikamma Section of Garden Route National Park. It also recognises his significant contributions to the establishment of the famous Otter Trail and a host of tourism products for a period of 45 years of unbroken loyal service to SANParks.
Early days and hard work
Long before he became an oom, Popo Scott was just a 14-year-old child when he was picked up on the side of the road after a long walk from school by the then park manager warden of Tsitsikamma National Park. He was almost instantly employed as one of the general workers in the early 1960s.
Oom Popo Scott built the Otter Trail, and one of the famous huts on the trail, Scott, is even named after him. He built the massive network of trails including the boardwalk to the suspension bridge with recycled plastic as day trails.
"Tourism facilities such as campsites, various viewpoint decks, chalets and access roads and the first restaurant that burned down at the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park were also built by Oom Popo with his hands and without appropriate equipment," said GRNP spokesperson Phokela Lebea.
Commemorations
Oom Popo retired from SANParks in 2007, and passed away peacefully in July 2021. Vuyiswa Radebe, regional general manager for the Garden Route National Park, expressed gratitude to the late Popo Scott, stating, "Oom Popo Scott's lifetime of dedication to conservation exemplifies the spirit of the Kudu Awards. His commitment to the environment has not only contributed to the success of SANParks but has also inspired a new generation of conservationists."
Park manager for the Tsitsikamma Section Victor Mokoena also conveyed his appreciation for the significant contribution made by Oom Popo Scott to the global tourism product (Otter Trail), which has drawn numerous people from around the world. "Indeed, SANParks is privileged to acknowledge and celebrate his accomplishments, bestowing upon him the esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award."
But the awards for the Garden Route didn't stop with the legendary Popo Scott.