Pilgrim's Rest tender news shocks countrywide

09-07-2012
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PILGRIM’S REST - The order to 18 of its business "owners" to vacate their premises by July 31, could well be the death knell of this renowned, historic, but already beleaguered village.

The order includes the BP garage, caravan park, golf club, Scott’s Café, The Vine, Pilgrim’s Pantry and Mona Cottage.

During November 2011, the businesses of Pilgrim’s Rest were put out on tender in the Government Gazette. According to resident Ms Isabel Jacobs not one "owner" was informed beforehand that their business was up for grabs. "It was by chance that they learned of the advertisement.

All the owners attended the tender meeting and duly completed and submitted their tender documents. And then the waiting started," Jacobs said.

After months of uncertainty and missed deadlines, the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport finally awarded 21 building leases to 14 successful bidders, of whom only five were existing owners. The news has sparked a flood of enquiries from national tour operators. Commencing on August 1, 18 businesses will have new occupiers, 16 of which will be completely new to Pilgrim’s Rest.

Moreover, the successful bidders will be be moving into empty shells, as they were awarded leases for the business premises only, not the furniture or fittings, which remain the property of the current operators.

According to the lease agreements, the new tenants must pay three months rent up front. This, coupled with the thousands and in some cases millions of rand that will be needed to re-establish the businesses has raised grave concern over the ability of the successful bidders to establish Pilgrim’s Rest as a fully functional, world-class tourist destination in time for the World Gold Panning Championships to be hosted in the village in October.

This concern has been particularly strong for the future of the BP Highwayman’s Garage. It is the only petrol station in town and the contains the only ATM. After running the business for 10 years, current owner, Mr Marius Brummer was also unsuccessful in his bid and was served an eviction notice last Friday.

According to Brummer the new occupant will need R1,5 million just to fill the tanks and pay security to BP. This is besides the three months’ rent that the tenant will be contractually required to pay on August 1, and the thousands needed to stock up the shop.

The successful bidder for the garage was Mangwanyane Trading. They were also awarded the tender for Scott’s Café.

One bidder, Matletle Construction and Projects was awarded no less than five tenders, being the golf course, Mrs Mac’s Shop, The Daisy, Pilgrim’s Pantry and the caravan park.

Mr Johnny Reinders has been operating The Vine and Johnny’s Pub for 18 years. The entire reputation and attraction of the pub is rooted in the old man, whose knowledge of the village and its history, as well as his footprint in the community, is vast.

Despite all he has ploughed back into the community over the years and the fact that Johnny’s Pub is one of the most loved and frequented businesses in Pilgrim’s Rest, Reinders also served an eviction notice.

His business was awarded to Timbhulu Construction and Projects, that also won the tender for Mona Cottage and Chaitows.

But Reinders said he wasn’t going anywhere. The man who has spent nearly two decades in the living museum said he consulted his lawyer in January and was prepared to go to court to fight for his business. He says his lease is valid until December 2015. "The reason I tendered was because it would extend my lease by 10 years," he said.

The DA has expressed concern over the entire bid allocation process. "The fact that one was awarded five leases and two others three and two respectively, is certainly not broad-based empowerment," said provincial leader Mr Anthony Bendadie.

While the impact of this dramatic change is written on the brows of all the current owners who have been ordered to pack up their lives and livelihoods at the end of the month, it has been a devastating blow to the local community, whose job security has vanished overnight.

The new lessees have not been put under any obligation to employ former staff members. "Half the town will be unemployed at the end of the month," said Brummer. Mr Hendry Nonyane was born in Pilgrim’s Rest.

He is 66 years old and has been working at the Highwayman’s Garage since 1982. "I am very worried because I won’t have a job at the end of the month. No one will employ me again because I am an old man," Nonyane told Lowvelder. He is the breadwinner of his household and has two children who are still at school.

Nonyane also sends money to five people in Bushbuckridge every month. Nonyane’s fears and sadness were echoed by the scores of staff members Lowvelder interviewed this week.

The only ones who do not have the sword of Damocles over their heads are the 80-plus complement at the Royal Hotel.

This world-renowned establishment was not tendered for or served an eviction notice. According to general manager Ms Elize Caldwell, they were categorically assured by the department last Friday that they were to carry on with business as usual.

Mr Kobus Tait, managing director of Forever Resorts South Africa, who had unsuccessfully tendered for the Royal Hotel three years ago, said he was very concerned about the future and sustainability of the jewel of Lowveld tourism. "Pilgrim’s Rest is a part of South Africa’s history and it cannot be allowed to go down," he said.

At one stage in the past three years, Forever Resorts SA had offered to purchase the lease of the entire village. "At the rate at which it is declining, it would not be sensible to operate only one business. It needs a complete takeover by a committed company with a lot of capital to pump into it," he added.

Chairman of Kruger Lowveld, Ms Lisa Sheard, believes this will be the last nail in the coffin of the National Heritage Site. "Pilgrim’s has been in a state of decline for some years and this shows the terrible short-sightedness of the department. It either doesn’t care or is incapable of maintaining the village.

If these new lessees are not able to open shop and operate successfully, Pilgrim’s Rest will die," Sheard said.

The History:

1873: Alec "Wheelbarrow" Patterson leaves Mac Mac Gold Field and sets off in search of gold at Pilgrim’s RestSeptember 22, 1873: Pilgrim’s Rest officially pronounced a gold field 1876: Most tents replaced by permanent wooden structures 1911: Belvedere hydro-electric power plant in Blyde River Canyon established and Pilgrim’s Rest the second town in South Africa to be electrified 1974: Mining company Barlow Rand sells Pilgrim’s Rest to Transvaal Provincial Administration (now Mpumalanga Provincial Government) to be preserved as a national historic asset 1980s: Pilgrim’s Rest steadily establishes itself as a prime tourism destination of South Africa 1986: Pilgrim’s Rest declared a national monument as a living memory of the early gold rush days of South Africa 1994: Pilgrim’s Rest falls under the administration of the Mpumalanga department of public works.