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Tshwane’s Fading Resorts Spark Urgent Call for Repairs and Jobs

Published

2 months ago

August 15, 2025

Chiraag

Tshwane resorts, crumbling infrastructure, tourism challenges, Ga-Mothakga Resort, Rooihuiskraal Resort, Kruger Avenue Resort, city maintenance issues, job creation in Tshwane, economic development, Joburg ETC

Once-prized spots for family getaways and community gatherings, several of Tshwane’s municipal resorts are now battling crumbling infrastructure and a steady decline in upkeep. A recent inspection by Peggy de Bruin, acting Section 79 chairperson for the city’s Environment and Agriculture Management, has laid bare the scale of the problem, and her message is clear: urgent maintenance cannot wait.

From tourism assets to trouble spots

During visits to Ga-Mothakga, Rooihuiskraal, and Kruger Avenue Resort, De Bruin found serious issues with heating and cooling systems, faulty plumbing, unreliable electrics, and swimming pools in need of attention. For facilities designed to attract both locals and visitors, these are more than cosmetic problems. They directly affect guest safety, experience, and the city’s ability to compete as a tourism destination.

De Bruin pointed out that well-maintained resorts boost tourism, create jobs, and feed into the wider economy. Even the landscaping and building exteriors, she said, play a vital role in first impressions and can determine whether visitors return.

A push for quick action

The acting chairperson promised to take her committee’s findings to council for approval, aiming to fast-track repairs. She also noted one bright spot, the resorts’ card payment system, which she said had helped curb crime at the facilities.

“Our resorts should be spaces for relaxation, recreation, and social connection,” she said. “We must act now to prevent further decline.”

Linking repairs to job creation

While the city considers the maintenance plan, there is some relief on the jobs front. MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, Sarah Mabotsa, confirmed that National Treasury has allocated R76 million for 2,780 new employment opportunities in Tshwane for the 2025/26 financial year.

These roles will span cleaning the inner city, maintaining trading facilities, greening public spaces, managing informal settlements, and safety ambassador duties. An artisan development programme will also focus on essential service delivery work, which could benefit resort maintenance in the long term.

Mabotsa said the funding follows the city’s strong performance in a previous phase of the jobs programme, which saw a 97% grant expenditure rate. Beneficiaries included youth, women, and people with disabilities from across all seven Tshwane regions.

The bigger picture

Tshwane’s resorts have long been part of the city’s leisure and tourism landscape, but their decline mirrors broader concerns about municipal infrastructure across South Africa. Without timely investment, the risk is not just losing tourist rands but eroding spaces that serve as cultural and community hubs.

Whether the upcoming jobs programme and council-approved repairs can turn things around remains to be seen, but for now, the call from both officials and communities is the same: fix them before they fade beyond repair.