Construction World December 2016

Professional Services C MTHATHA DAM TOURISM CENTRE AND RECREATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Mthatha Dam project master plan scope entails the design, construction and handing over of a conference centre catering for 100 conference delegates, a restaurant, sunset bar and kitchen facility serving 150 guests, built accommodation to house a total of 100 guests, a camping site with 12 stands each to the maximum carrying capacity of 6 people, a wedding facility to host up to 350 guests, alterations to Luchaba Nature Reserve gate house as well as bulk civil, electrical and ICT infrastructure. In addition to this, the development of the facility brings with it the improvement of surrounding infrastructure, as is the case with the tarring of the road leading to the facility as well as the Mthatha, as the birth place of the former State President of the Republic of South Africa, Nelson Mandela will, in years to come, remain a tourist attraction. The development of the Mthatha Dam Tourism Centre and Recreational Facilities by the Department of Environmental Affairs will be an icon of the rebirth of Mthatha and the development of the precinct will be reflected in the economic benefits inherent in a process of this nature.

construction of a road meandering the natural and man-made amenities presented by the nature reserve. The conference centre and restaurant/kitchen opened for business in December 2015. The UWP-led team is driving value-adding green and sustainable development initiatives on the project in line with UWP’s triple bottom-line (people, planet, profit) sustain- ability policy. The project has significant focus on job creation, skills development and community empowerment. To this end a community trust that shares in profits arising from the project has been set up. The trust consists of representatives from each of the thirteen surrounding communities as trustees. Proceeds from the operation of the facilities are shared amongst the thirteen communities through such programmes as financing the education of children from the area and caring for the old and disabled. Furthermore, the project has created 38 full time jobs to date, of which 34 positions are filled from the local community. Some 394 community members have received training in various skills related to the operation of the facilities, including seven individuals who have completed training at the Midmar Dam and Hluleka Nature Reserves and are now full time employees operating the nature reserve entrance gatehouse. To date, from a budget of R66,7-million spent on the project, an amount of R19-3million has been spent on local labour alone. This amount excludes monthly expenditure of R154 550 spent on salaries for permanent employees. Solar geysers are specified for all accommodation units and wastewater is treated on site through package wastewater treatment plants to decrease the load on the municipal system and allow for grey water recycling for site irrigation.

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Project information • Company entering: UWP Consulting • Client: Department of Environmental affairs • Start date: 11 March 2013 • End date: 11 March 2017 • Architect: MDA Architects • Consulting engineers: UWP Consulting • Project value: R38-million

Construction WORLD

DECEMBER • 2016