The long-abandoned Beachview Resort, which lies in ruins, looks set to finally be demolished by the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.
The city is now seeking private investors to rebuild the multimillion-rand asset after 15 years of mismanagement.
A proposal to develop the resort through a public-private partnership, first mooted in 2022 by the National Treasury’s Government Technical Advisory Centre, came about when the metro was exploring ways to manage the facility.
The centre provides guidance to the government on the planning, procurement and implementation of large-scale transactions for infrastructure and related services.
The city took over management of the resort in 2015 after a drowning.
This was followed by an in-loco inspection by officials who found the facility was being not properly looked after, with no safety measures in place.
The resort, which is owned by the municipality, is located on a 17.2ha boundary between Seaview and Maitlands. However, it was leased to a private company between 2004 and 2015.
An instruction for its closure was then issued by the city manager, and a decade later, the once-renowned seaside attraction is an unsightly ruin, stripped and looted of all its valuable assets.
A report by sport, recreation, arts and culture acting executive director Charmaine Williams said the resort was in a serious state of disrepair.
“The roaming service that was provided by the safety and security directorate is not sufficient to provide adequate security.
“The resort is now a health and safety hazard, and is attracting undesirable characters.
“The recommendations from the engagement session between the National Treasury and the municipality was that a public-private partnership management plan would be the most suitable option for the management of the resorts in light of the substantial financial, technical and operational costs associated with resorts in particular, and in this case, it would be assumed by the private party and not the municipality,” Williams said.
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The report was approved by the sport, recreation, arts and culture committee on Thursday but needs the council’s final approval before the demolition can go ahead.
The city was issued with a demolition certificate by the human settlements department in November 2024.
The resort had more than 20 chalets that are now shells, with broken windows and roofing that has long since caved in.
The bathroom and braai facilities are damaged.
Though the resort is officially closed off to the public, the site remains easily accessible via the shoreline or through breaches in the perimeter fence.
Several motorists were spotted driving onto the premises on Tuesday.
Scores of caravan and camping sites are overgrown with grass, while a substantial number of office and recreational facilities are in a shocking state.
Dozens of fire extinguisher shells, stripped of their metal components, are scattered throughout the resort.
The guardhouse at the facility’s entrance — long deserted by security personnel — teeters precariously on a fragment of road, supported by crumbling bricks.
Heavy downpours also took a toll on the resort, washing away sections of the main entrance.
According to Williams’ report, the council’s backing of a public-private partnership would ensure proper management and revenue generation for the city.
“The public-private partnership model allows for private sector innovation and public sector incentives which are combined and result in well-managed implementation of projects.
“The metro is also looking at replicating a similar model for the Springs and Willows resorts, which are still under a legal process.”
According to the report, it is vital that the prescripts of the Municipal Finance Management Act be complied with in pursuing this approach.
“It may be advisable to solicit the advice, in writing, from the National Treasury when embarking on this process on an advisory basis,” chief operations officer Jackson Ngcelwane says in the report.
A call for proposals for the development of the property will be put out to tender once the feasibility study and other processes have been concluded.
In 2022, the Khoi and San community approached the municipality, offering to safeguard the resort, saying they used the decaying facility to perform cultural practices.
The proposal was rejected by the city, and the group was chased off the property.
Gaokx’oab paramount chief Crawford Fraser said the municipality was prioritising issues that had nothing to do with the delivery of basic services to the people.
“What is the urgency with this demolition when so many issues that affect community members are not being dealt with?
“We were kicked out of that broken facility when we were using it for good.
“Them saying they want to develop it for revenue collection will only be seen when it happens, but I have no hope in this metro.”
The DA submitted questions to former acting city manager Ted Pillay in March after residents in the neighbouring area raised safety concerns about the facility, saying it harboured drug users and vagrants.
DA councillor Sebenzile Rafani said it welcomed the long-overdue decision to proceed with the demolition of the remaining structures at the resort.
“For years, the derelict site has posed a serious risk to the safety and wellbeing of nearby residents. It had become a known hideout for criminal elements and a hotspot for illegal activities.
“The area was also a major health hazard, with deteriorating buildings and unsafe conditions creating a dangerous environment for the community — especially for children and the elderly.
“A resolution was finally adopted to initiate the demolition process.
“We are also pleased that the private-public partnership development plans will move parallel, creating opportunities for sustainable investment and positive transformation in the area,” Rafani said.
EFF councillor Ndumiso Qwazi said though Ngcelwane emphasised the importance of conducting due diligence where regulations were concerned, the party fully supported the proposed demolition and public-private partnership.
“We welcome it because these facilities [Bay resorts] under the management of the municipality, we’re unable to maintain them to ensure their upkeep.
“It’s a project we have not mastered as a city. What we wanted from the city is for it to address the financial gains once we embark on this commitment.
“We need to know how much the metro stands to make.
“We need these projections even when we take it to the public, so the people know how the municipality stands to benefit.”
ANC councillor Lehlohonolo Mfana said while it supported the demolition, the party was still undecided about the public-private partnership proposal.
“We definitely support that the buildings be demolished because we have heard about the criminal activity that goes on, the incidents of loss of life.
“We can’t have that continue in the name of the municipality, hence it is safer for that community that the resort be done away with.
“As for the partnership and investments, we have not discussed this as a caucus. I have arranged a meeting with our political principal to discuss this matter further.”
The Herald
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