The Executive Mayor of Makana Municipality, Zamuxolo Peter, has asked Premier Phumulo Masualle to boost the fading Kwam eMakana Homestay Project.
The Executive Mayor of Makana Municipality, Zamuxolo Peter, has asked Premier Phumulo Masualle to boost the fading Kwam eMakana Homestay Project.
Ten years ago, Grahamstown East residents were encouraged to register their homes as Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs) to generate revenue by accommodating Festival goers.
The aim was to increase tourism spend in disadvantaged areas and create a source of income for unemployed women.
The women-owned B&Bs were marketed to tourists, and especially to Festival visitors.
Over the past decade, however, the project has been marred by controversy and strikes by owners over payments.
Addressing the Premier during the opening of the National Arts Festival, Peter said "the Kwam eMakana project should receive the support that it used to get from your office".
“Nosimo Balindlela started this initiative,” said Nokhanyo Moli, owner of the Singaphi homestay at Joza location. "We used to get food, blankets and sheets directly from her so that we may host guests.”
“We are unemployed women earning a living through this business," said Bulelwa Gora, Chair of the Kwam eMakana Women’s Committee, "but it becomes difficult when we have to maintain our houses when there are no guests coming”.
“There are 34 hosts this year. We have received a stipend of R1000 from the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC) and we are ready to get guests,” she said.
Each guesthouse must meet minimum requirements before being considered suitable to host guests.
“We have set up an accommodation committee that liaises with Kwam Emakana project leaders," said Manzi Vabaza, spokesperson at DSRAC.
"The committee checks the conditions of the houses and advises accordingly, particularly during the Festival.”
The department budgets R150 000 to assist the project with transportation of guests, to ensure that breakfast is prepared and to pay stipends to the cadets.
“For a while, this project was my source of income," Moli said. "Things changed when we were told we needed to be formally trained by the government on how to host guests.”
She said business has become tough as homestays now have to compete with better facilities when people seek accommodation.
“Business decreased over the years as more people find accommodation in other places such as Rhodes.”
Susan Waugh, director of Makana Tourism, said bookings are different every year.
“We struggle," said Moli. "We sometimes get two to three people to stay for a short while (but) people sometimes complain about the facilities in some of the homestays.”
Homeowners say they have asked the government to provide maintenance for their homes, without success.
“We asked the municipality for tanks because we usually don’t have clean water in the location. But as yet we have not received tanks,” Moli said.
"We would have loved to honour this 10 year achievement in an honourable way," she said.
"Instead we wait in anticipation for the arrival of guests, though it seems unlikely that we will get them."
