The concerns surrounding Playland at Kings Beach should not be dismissed. Playland has been part of Nelson Mandela Bay for generations, creating memories for families and supporting businesses around Kings Beach.
Concerns about jobs, tourism and the wider local economy are therefore legitimate.
But if the discussion is about accountability, then accountability must follow responsibility.
The reported increase in the rental demanded for Playland raises an important question: what happens when a commercial decision that may make sense on a balance sheet undermines the sustainability of an attraction and the wider economic activity around it?
Restaurants, accommodation establishments, traders, transport operators and other businesses benefit from the visitor traffic generated by attractions such as Playland.
That is precisely why the commercial decision cannot simply be presented as a municipal decision.
The municipality does not own the property, set Transnet’s rental charges, negotiate Transnet’s commercial leases or operate Playland.
The commercial terms of the lease therefore cannot be determined by the municipality, nor can the municipality be held accountable for a decision over which it has no authority.
That does not absolve the municipality of its responsibilities.
The municipality has a clear role in supporting the local economy, facilitating investment, engaging stakeholders, advocating for tourism and addressing infrastructure within its mandate.
Where municipal infrastructure is not performing, residents are entitled to answers, intervention and corrective action.
The municipality accepts that responsibility.
But those responsibilities should not be conflated with the commercial decisions of a state-owned enterprise or private operator.
The same principle applies to the wider discussion about Kings Beach and Ironman.
Major attractions and events contribute to the local economy and Nelson Mandela Bay has a clear interest in retaining and growing them.
But the commercial decisions of property owners, operators, event organisers and investors cannot automatically become municipal decisions simply because they have consequences for the local economy.
There is a more important question for the city.
What kind of tourism destination do we want Nelson Mandela Bay to become?
Playland matters.
So do Ironman, our beaches and coastline, marine economy, heritage, arts and culture, hospitality sector, sporting events, business tourism, conferences, adventure tourism and smaller attractions.
A resilient tourism economy cannot depend on one attraction, one event or one commercial operator.
It needs a broader ecosystem of attractions, investment, infrastructure and experiences capable of sustaining the destination when individual businesses or events change.
That is not a dismissal of Playland.
It is recognition that the long-term economic interests of Nelson Mandela Bay are bigger than any single attraction.
The Playland discussion should therefore be used to ask the right questions: What decision was made? Who made it? What authority did they have? Why was it made? And what consequences does it have for the wider economy?
Those questions should be asked of every institution involved.
If a commercial arrangement can be changed, the parties with authority over that arrangement must be part of the solution.
If municipal infrastructure requires intervention, the municipality must act.
If businesses require commercially sustainable operating models, those businesses and their partners must address them.
If the wider precinct requires coordinated investment, government and the private sector must work together.
This is not about finding an institution to blame.
It is about ensuring that responsibility sits with those who have the power to make, influence or correct the decisions in question.
The Municipality has no interest in seeing businesses fail or important attractions disappear.
It has every interest in seeing Nelson Mandela Bay grow as a tourism and investment destination.
But the municipality cannot be the financial backstop for every commercial decision made in the city.
Equally, where the Municipality has the authority and responsibility to act, it must answer for its performance.
That is the standard residents should expect from us, and one we accept.
Playland is part of the economic and social fabric of Kings Beach. Its future matters.
So does the future of the people and businesses that depend on a vibrant visitor economy.
If we genuinely care about that future, then every institution with a stake in Kings Beach must look beyond its immediate interests and consider the wider value of the destination.
Accountability must follow responsibility.
If we are going to ask difficult questions, let us ask them of everyone who has the authority to answer them.
Sithembiso Soyaya, spokesperson, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
