MBDA moves on Bayworld revamp

Plans, finance and mandate issues being addressed

The Mandela Bay Development Agency hopes to hit the ground running with the redevelopment of Bayworld from July next year.

That is if it succeeds in its latest attempt to get Bhisho and the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality to finally reach an agreement on a way forward for Bayworld.

The MBDA is also considering the possibility of roping in the Eastern Cape Development Corporation for potential funding.

MBDA chief executive Ashraf Adam has submitted a preliminary plan for the revamp of Bayworld to the city.

In the report, to be presented to the economic development, tourism & agriculture portfolio committee on Friday, Adam wrote that the aim was to try to incorporate Bayworld with Telkom Park and the Happy Valley projects.

Yesterday, Adam said the MBDA was attempting to get the institutional issues out of the way. In the report, he said that the project was still in the planning phase and would be developed over five years.

“We are getting the process under way,” Adam said.

“This includes reconstituting the steering committee which will finalise the institutional arrangements.”

In May, Adam visited Bayworld to inspect the state of the facility.

“The facility is genuinely in need of being turned around [into] a world-class facility,” he said.

Other plans to be implemented in the first quarter of the financial year – between now and September – include getting the official mandate from the municipality and conducting a technical condition assessment of Bayworld.

In the second quarter of the 2018/19 financial year, the MBDA would conduct another round of public participation on the possibility of linking Bayworld to Telkom Park.

In the third quarter, a business plan and funding model would be drawn up and funds would be raised before the phasing in of tender specifications in the third quarter.

The Herald reported in May that the Eastern Cape government was making headway after it had appointed a board of trustees to draw up a turnaround strategy for Bayworld.

Provincial department of sports, recreation, arts & culture spokesperson Andile Nduna said the Bayworld board had not yet elected a chair.

“The board was delayed by the change in administration.

“However, we are still on track and we are awaiting the plan from the board as soon as they elect a chairperson,” Nduna said.

‘The facility is in need of being turned [into] a world-class facility’ Ashraf Adam MBDA CHIEF EXECUTIVE