 Contact Artefacts | MenuHomeUpfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon | Aliwal North Spa Complex BENTEL ABRAMSON and PARTNERS: Architect |  | ||||||
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Click to view map Coordinates: | "Aliwal North has one of the country's most famous mineral springs, around which an attractive resort has been developed. The main spring delivers over 2 million litres of water per day at a temperature of 35 degrees Centigrade, while a second spring delivers over 1 million litres daily. Several large swimming-pools, one of which is enclosed, are fed by these springs and there are also private baths, a Turkish bath and a massage centre." - [Source: Guide Map for the Tourist Republic of South Africa - issued by the Dept. Of Tourism-1980] Submitted by Dorothy Adendorff 2020: The complex has become completely run down and derelict although due to seepage of rain water the main pool looks almost perfect. 2022 From the Maletswai: My Home Facebook post. Accessed 2022 05 19. Submitted by Annelise Lange. A brief history of the Aliwal Spa Holiday Resort Aliwal Spa was developed in the early 1960’s, it was and still is 100% owned by government (currently it is an asset of the Maletswai Local Municipality). Aliwal Spa used to be a major tourist attraction throughout South Africa. During the previous government it used to receive an annual incentives grant or subsidy from the national government and Cape Provincial Administration, despite the fact that it was not profitable. In 1994, these incentives fell-off and access to the facility was opened to all racial groups as this was not the case during the previous government. The Maletswai Local Municipality noticed in 2000 that the facility has deteriorated and the existing infrastructure needs serious rehabilitation, it resolved to engage the district municipality (former Ukhahlamba now Joe Gqabi) for assistance. The district municipality was identified by the national government as a rural node under the ISRDP and Maletswai (Aliwal North in particular) as a landing-strip – an area strategically placed and with an economic base and infrastructure that can propel economic growth and development in the district. The district set aside R5-million for this initiative and this project was called – The Aliwal Spa Revitalisation Project and this project had the following milestones that were achieved:
Through the above interventions, to date the following have been achieved:
It is the view of the local municipality, informed by the provincial and national government guidelines, that it is not the constitutional mandate of the municipality to operate a holiday resort. Annually, the Aliwal Spa drains +/- R2-million from the coffers of the municipality, money that can be well spent on key basic service deliverables, needed by our people. In 2010, Maletswai Council resolved to part of the processes of establishing a district special purpose vehicle, after disestablishing Mthombo Sediba in 2009. This resolution paved the way for the creation of the Joe Gqabi Economic Development Agency (JoGEDA) and subsequent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and handing over of the Aliwal Spa Revitalisation Project, for further development, to JoGEDA. JoGEDA is tasked with the following:
We are currently in the process of commercializing the Aliwal Spa, soliciting private partners to invest in the Aliwal Spa. |
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