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A massive donation of R20 million from the United Arab Emirates has enabled the Eastern Cape Provincial Government to prepare Bulembu Airport near Qonce (the former town of King William) for the visit of the royal family and its President.
This includes a generator to provide power during rolling blackouts.
This week, a private plane carrying Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the leader of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi, and his entourage arrived at Bhisho-Bulembu airport to visit the and Bedford in the Chiefs Game Reserve.
The office of Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said it was a private visit and not at the prime minister’s invitation. Khuselwa Rantje, head of communications for the Eastern Cape provincial government, said the airport was provisionally designated as a port of entry under South Africa’s agreement to allow the passage of the UAE leader.
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Photo: Andy Rain/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“All relevant resources have been engaged at the airport to ensure compliance with national laws,” she said.
“The Bhisho-Bulembu airport has existed for many years and the government has upgraded it years ago. The province is working hard to strengthen trade with the UAE in various sectors such as education, agriculture, renewable energy, oil and gas, research and innovation, and aviation economic partnerships relation.
“As a start, the provincial government is negotiating the possibility of a joint investment project to raise the standard of the government-owned Bissau airport to meet the requirements of an international cargo airport.”
Rantjie said no agreement has been reached yet – they are still “exploring”.
“The province hopes to use this opportunity to convince Emirati citizens that the Eastern Cape is a tourist destination as well as an investment destination; therefore, hosting their President is a key step in this regard,” Mabuyane said.
Mabuyane visited the United Arab Emirates a month ago and returned to South Africa on April 4. Before leaving, he said that he was discussing the renovation and upgrading of Bissau Airport for wide-body aircraft to take off and land.
In his 2023 state of the province address, Mabuyane promised his government would use economic diplomacy as a tool to attract foreign investment to sustain economic growth and create jobs. He has made it clear that his plan is to make it easier for international tourists to fly directly to the Eastern Cape.
“The issue of limited international and domestic flights into the province is not only related to tourism but also to lowering the cost of doing business in the province,” Mabuyane said.
Transport spokesman Unathi Binqose said the Eastern Cape government had received R20 million from the United Arab Emirates for “routine maintenance” at the airport:
“No upgrades…all that was done was the garden service and cleanup, painting the lines and the runway…fixed it, replaced the lights. It’s not an upgrade. It’s just a few modifications to make it easier for the UAE delegation Get ready for your arrival.
He said the UAE’s contribution included generators for rolling blackouts.
“The further use of the airport as an international cargo airport has always been a dream of the Eastern Cape Government,” Binqose added. “The successful landing of the UAE delegation is a further demonstration of the airport’s capabilities and will be the impetus to advance this goal.”
The airport is used by the South African Defense Force, while office space next to its facility is being refurbished.
“No flight landed there for a long time before the UAE delegation arrived,” Binqose added. DM/MC
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