Neglected Bayworld ‘in dire straits’

Aggrieved staff say the situation has gone “beyond dire straits” and question whether the former attraction will even be open over the December holidays.

Staff, who agreed to talk on condition of anonymity out of fear of a backlash, said a new Bayworld could transform the beachfront and boost tourism in the city

“Ideas have been drawn up and there are several possibilities of what could be done. Bayworld has the potential to be the province’s and city’s top attraction. Instead, it has been left to fall apart,” an employee said.

“It is at such a stage that there is a real possibility the complex might close its doors over December due to no staff wanting to work. The DSRAC [Eastern Cape Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture] has frozen posts for years.”

This came to light after the department failed to sign an agreement with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in January.

The agreement would have effectively led to a bailout and the complex being handed over to the municipality. It was expected to be signed nine months ago, leading to the first phase of a cash injection for the Oceanarium, Snake Park and Museum complex.

The department blames the delay on the political change of leadership for both parties over the past two years.

Currently, the complex falls under the authority of the department.

A corporate governance agreement – which has still not been signed – would give the municipality the authority to financially bail out the complex, and boost the city’s tourism offerings.

Once the agreement is signed, the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) will be given the project by the municipality, to launch a feasibility study and further developments.

But in the meantime Bayworld’s fate remains in limbo as the aquarium, museum, snake park and former dolphin pool continue to go to ruin – with no one able to give a reason why the agreement has not yet been signed.

According to staff, parts of the building were deemed so structurally unsound that touch-up jobs had to be done to allow the doors to stay open.

Over the years, Bayworld staff have played with designs that would reform the facility into a world-class attraction with shark tanks surrounded by walk-through tunnels and a top-notch dolphin lake.

Despite the uncertain future, staff are pushing ahead, “while awaiting word from the government on the next step”.

Oceanarium senior curator Dylan Bailey said the department was unable to fund the redevelopment on its own.

“To this end, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the municipality to investigate and implement a cooperative governance agreement that will see the municipality have a legal stake in the facility. It is envisaged that, once this agreement has been signed, the municipality will undertake a feasibility study and then seek external financial support for the complete redevelopment of Bayworld, which is estimated will cost between R300-million and R500-million.

“Until the cooperative governance agreement is signed and the redevelopment is slated to begin, Bayworld is doing its best to survive. Even though we are suffering from an ever-worsening crisis of staff shortages, we continue to do the best we can in terms of service delivery.”

In 2008, the centre’s dolphins, Domino and Dumisa, were relocated to Ocean Park in Hong Kong as part of a breeding programme.

“Legally, they still belong to Bayworld – the arrangement is that every second offspring will belong to us. There is no guarantee that dolphins will come back to Bayworld, that is still open for discussion. If dolphins do come back, it will only happen once the redevelopment is completed and the facility has been accredited to house the animals,” Bailey said.

“The intention is to demolish the entire Oceanarium and rebuild from scratch.”

The dolphin pool, shark tank and existing structures were simply beyond repair and needed to be rebuilt.

“A new pool, much larger and of a far better design for the animals, will be built. If the dolphins do not return to Bayworld, the aquarium will become the centrepiece of the redevelopment, being one of the best in the country and competing with some of the best in the world,” he said.

“Once the agreement has been signed, the funds secured and the go-ahead given, it will be an estimated three to five years for the feasibility study, planning, construction and commissioning of the new facility.”

Municipal economic development, tourism and agriculture executive director Anele Qaba said the rebuilding of Bayworld was one of the priorities identified by mayor Danny Jordaan.

“We have been in consultation with the MEC’s office and they have not yet signed the facility over to us . . . We are trying our utmost to get it under way and the document signed. I will be briefing the mayor and the committee in the near future with regard to steps that need to be taken.

“We will be taking a delegation to visit the MEC so that this issue can be resolved speedily and the project started.”

Qaba said Bayworld had been highlighted at Jordaan’s recent investors summit.

Department spokesman Andile Nduna blamed the delay in signing the agreement on the change of political leadership in the past two years.

“[The agreement] . . . has been on the cards for some time now. The department has held discussions with the MBDA on this matter. It should be appreciated that both the department and the municipality have had change of leadership at the highest political level in the last two years.”

Pushed for a date as to when Bayworld would be signed over to the metro, Nduna failed to respond.

MBDA chief executive Pierre Voges said that until they were handed the mandate, they were unable to get involved.

Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism chief executive Mandlakazi Skefile said the body would “support the upgrade of Bayworld as an attraction and educational facility in our destination as soon as possible”.