The Maletswai Local Municipality, in the Eastern Cape, is seeking proposals from private developers to revitalise the Aliwal Spa, incorporating the Buffelspruit Game Reserve and Aliwal North golf club, which is currently owned and managed by the municipality.

Dr Rafiq Surtie, chairperson of Mthomba Sedida, which is the section 21 company with the task of exercising the municipality's interests in matters related to the Aliwal Spa, tells Engineering News Online that the development agency intends to award one or more concessions to private developers and operators.

This would be done on a 'build-operate-transfer' basis with the aim of rehabilitating and expanding the tourist facilities and to ensure that the facilities are well managed for a period of 20 to 30 years, although this period is negotiable.

The development will include a world-class hydro-wellness centre, a leisure theme park, an upgraded conference centre, and a three- to four- star hotel with an African theme, targeting local and international visitors.

This is the second time that the municipality has had to call for proposals, after the bids it received by its original closing date were not of the standard required, said Surtie.

He added that, this time, the response so far has been fair but, with bids still coming in until November 26, it is an open playing field.

It is estimated that the development will require about R60-million; R30-million for the hotel and R30-million for the leisure theme park.

The spa currently boasts the facilities of two hot springs, three swimming pools, one olympic-size swimming pool, conference facilities, campsite and picnic area, 47 self-catering chalets, three chalets without catering, a 123-bed-hotel, a sauna and a lake.

According to Surtie, the number of visitors to the spa have been steadily decreasing and the municipality decided it was time for an upgrade.

It is envisaged that the golf course and game park will be upgraded at a later stage.

The spa was built in the 1960s and was fully subsidised by the government of the day. Its facilities were for the exclusive use of white South Africans, during the former regime, and when the new government came into power in 1994, the subsidy fell away.

Despite the lack of funds, the municipality has continued to operate the spa, which has a turnover of about R2-million a year.