Hoedspruit Herald apologises for publishing errors

Dear readers

As you will see on this week’s front page, the Hoedspruit Herald and its online platforms, www.letabaherald.co.za and the Letaba-Limpopo Facebook page, apologise to two important local entities following publication of a report titled “Illegal Land Occupation a Growing Concern”.

As a trusted news provider, we acknowledge that we form part of vibrant communities where various stakeholders contribute meaningfully to the continued sustaining and growth of the towns we love to call home.

Key stakeholders in our community include the media, which includes this publication, but also Kruger2Canyon News. Another is the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region NPC (K2C), a non-profit company that manages a 2.5-million-hectare UNESCO-recognised biosphere stretching from the Blyde River Canyon to the Kruger National Park in South Africa.

In publishing the above article, we republished copyrighted content belonging to Kruger2Canyon News, thereby violating the South African Press Code. We again transgressed the Press Code by incorrectly attributing statements made to K2C communications manager, Lauren Booth.

The truth is that neither Lauren Booth nor Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region NPC supplied, approved, or had prior knowledge of the article, and neither was contacted before publication. Ms Booth has never held any role in, worked for, or represented Kruger2Canyon News. Kruger2Canyon News is not affiliated with Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region NPC.

When a mistake of this magnitude is made, it is our duty to correct our wrongs publicly with sincere apology. We acknowledge that the reproduction of another news provider’s content is unacceptable and undertake to implement the Press Code, which prohibits such behaviour, strictly to not make the same mistake again.

The potential consequences of our mistakes could have affected, for example, the K2C Biosphere with communities, partners and confidential sources, something we do not want to do.

In transparency, we undertake to do better. Our Press Code adherence and implementation will continue to be a priority, calling upon us to ensure that articles are thoroughly vetted before publication, which includes verifying by whom statements were made as well as the accuracy thereof.

By taking full responsibility and apologising where it is due, we also confirm that we will continuously aim to report on the news in a way that makes our communities proud.

Karen Engelbrecht, Editor.

Retraction and apology to Kruger2Canyon News

On 10 July 2026, the Hoedspruit Herald and its online platforms, letabaherald.co.za and Letaba-Limpopo Herald Facebook, published an article entitled “Illegal Land Occupation a Growing Concern”.

The article (in its entirety, including the headline and photographs) drew substantially on reporting first published by Kruger2Canyon News on 26 June 2026, written by Mr Mark Bishop. That reporting, together with both accompanying photographs – namely the headline image and the cropped insert image – is the work and property of Kruger2Canyon News and its publisher.

The article should have credited Kruger2Canyon News as the source of the reporting and should have obtained permission before any of its text or photographs were reproduced. This did not occur. The Hoedspruit Herald and its online platforms, letabaherald.co.za and Letaba-Limpopo Herald Facebook page, apologise sincerely to Kruger2Canyon News, to Mr Bishop, and to their readers.

The original article has been removed from the websites and social media platforms of the Hoedspruit Herald and is hereby formally retracted from the print version of the publication.

The Hoedspruit Herald undertakes that neither publication will, in future, reproduce the text, photographs or other material of the Kruger2Canyon News without its prior written consent.

Retraction and apology to Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region NPC

On 10 July 2026, Hoedspruit Herald and its online platforms, letabaherald.co.za, and Letaba-Limpopo Herald Facebook published an article entitled “Illegal Land Occupation a Growing Concern”.

The article incorrectly stated that the underlying report had been published by Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region NPC and incorrectly attributed information and quotations to the organisation and its communications manager, Lauren Booth.

The original source was the independent publication Kruger2Canyon News. Lauren Booth is the communications manager of Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region NPC. She has never held any role in, worked for, or represented Kruger2Canyon News, and Kruger2Canyon News is not affiliated with Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region NPC.

Neither Lauren Booth nor Kruger to Canyon Biosphere Region NPC supplied, approved or had prior knowledge of the article, and neither was contacted before publication.

The information and quotations were incorrectly attributed and published without adequate verification.
The publications acknowledge that the incorrect attribution could have affected Ms Booth’s professional reputation and K2C Biosphere’s relationships with communities, partners and confidential sources.

The Hoedspruit Herald and its online platforms, letabaherald.co.za and Letaba-Limpopo Herald Facebook, retract the article and apologise unreservedly to Lauren Booth, Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region NPC, Kruger2Canyon News, Mr Mark Bishop, affected stakeholders and readers.

The original article has been removed from the publication’s websites and social media platforms.