Who’s your caddie! Bay’s R8m golf tournament gets green light

The Sunshine Tour and European Challenge Tour are set to tee off at the Humewood Golf Club in March after the Nelson Mandela Bay council approved an R8m budget amendment yesterday.

A heated showdown was expected as the ANC, PA and EFF had shown resistance to the amendment, but the red berets voted in favour of the event.

Mayor Retief Odendaal had tried at a previous council meeting to get approval for the amendment but this was shot down because it had not been approved by the sport, recreation, arts and culture standing committee.

The amendment was brought back to council yesterday after the committee gave it the thumbs up.

The money to support the event will be taken from different sports codes to make up R8m for this year.

Approval was given to support the event for the next two financial years, totalling an additional R16m.

For this year’s R8m, R2m will be taken from a rugby championship, R2m from a cricket championship, R1m from the Cosafa swimming championship and R3m from business and advisory project management.

According to a report in council, the tournament will lead to the promotion of the Bay as a tourist-friendly city, with visitor numbers improving.

It will also empower small businesses and traders while creating job opportunities.

The ANC voted against the amendment, with ANC councillor Mpumelelo Majola saying the party was not against the move but the city needed to re-evaluate its priorities.

“Out of all the challenges the city faces, why would we want to take our money and use it for an international event when our own sports development is struggling?”

Majola said the R24m could be used for service delivery issues.

“Charity begins at home,” he said.

EFF councillor Ndumiso Qwazi said the party supported the event provided it was told who would benefit from the tournament.

“We need this question answered to ensure that our people are not sidelined,” Qwazi said.

The event will include holding a golfing clinic which would promote the sport to the youth, and coaching and equipment giveaways.

The tour will also commit R500,000 to the Bay chapters of the SA Golf Development Board in Motherwell and Kariega to develop the sport in the metro.

Qwazi said the funding arrangement should only be for one year to allow for a review of what was offered to the city.

“We support this item because of the economic spin-offs and the empowerment it will bring to our local traders.”

DA councillor Renaldo Gouws said the city was set to benefit financially from the event.

“We have the potential of bringing millions of rand to this city just by having tourists visit,” he said.

“This will benefit people of all races, whether they are rich or poor.

“It will also benefit SMMEs, which will help with job creation.”