By Eddie Botha

The property empire of church group River Corporation International is set to expand further following negotiations for a multi- million rand share deal with the Bushman Sands golf resort in Alicedale.

The deal, if concluded, would bring the church group which is the parent body of River Ministries and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) together as partners in a major hospitality and entertainment venture.

The development of the four-star Bushman Sands hotel, game reserve, golf course and spa was the brainchild of former Eastern Cape Finance and Economic Affairs MEC Enoch Godongwana, who is named in the Pillay Commission report as one of several politicians behind the “siphoning off” of R200million in public money.

A dinner meeting years ago between Godongwana and Shamwari game reserve’s Adrian Gardiner was the start of a private-government partnership between Gardiner’s Mantis Collection, the ECDC, Makana Municipality, and the local community.

These four parties made up financing group Alicedale Investments Projects, which owns Bushman Sands.

Gardiner on Friday confirmed that he and River Corporation’s Andre Roebert were negotiating a deal. Gardiner said he could not divulge details because there was a confidentiality clause included in the negotiations.

He was, however, prepared to say that apart from the management contract that was being negotiated, there was “some equity involved”.

Gardiner denied rumours that the negotiated contract was worth R100m.

“That is what the whole project is valued at,” he said.

Gardiner, Roebert and Kenton- on-Sea architect Francois Theron, who designed the estate, met about 10 days ago to discuss the deal and possible conversions to the property.

ECDC chief executive Mxolisi Matshamba could not be reached for comment or to ascertain if his organisation was aware of the talks between Gardiner and Roebert.

Roebert did not return the Daily Dispatch’s calls. Theron is away and was also unavailable.

The successful conclusion of the negotiations would further expand former Baptist missionary Roebert’s multimillion-rand empire, whose business interests lie in the religious, hospitality, satellite TV and air travel sectors.

The Bushman Sands project, which took off in June 2003, included 198 plots on Alicedale’s 18- hole Gary Player-signature course, each one marketed for between R320000 and R375000. The property also shares a boundary with Shamwari.

Bushman Sands also became the subject of a Grahamstown High Court case last year during which Alicedale hunter Barry Burchell filed a R12m lawsuit against his estranged American business partner Scott Anglin for alleged defamation.

Burchell said Anglin had physically threatened him after siding with Gardiner in a dispute over a piece of land at Bushman Sands. The case is still in court.

Source: Daily Dispatch