The Welkom airport was in its heyday at the centre of the economic hub of the city and a gem to be proud of, receiving high-powered visitors virtually every day.
Now it is considered a thorn in Welkom’s side. It is dilapidated, vandalised and ravaged. What was once “the pride of Welkom, is no more, and has become an extreme embarrassment,” to say the least, says Brian Emmenis, chairman of the Welkom Publicity Association and a well-known figure in aviation, both in South Africa as well as abroad.
Two international aircraft from Uganda that recently landed in Welkom faced a disaster of note. They had to tend with broken toilets, buildings in a state of disarray, long and unkempt grass growing through the paving, a severe lack of maintenance, and no security.
“This is shocking and a disgrace to the city. Two very recent international flights from Uganda, using aircrafts worth millions, expressed their shock and horror at what greeted them,” says Emmenis.
There has been a sudden influx of visitors to Welkom over the past few weeks, largely due to the increased activity at the Phakisa Raceway just outside of the city.
The Welkom airport also regularly hosts national and international flights carrying visitors from all over, and was until recently also the host to the international glider championships.
“One top motocross team from Uganda that flew into Welkom by private jet from Entebbe via customs at Lanseria, spent three days in the city,” he says.
Due to his close relationship with aviation in South Africa, one of the top aviation companies in the country appointed Emmenis to host the aircraft crew and its passengers from their point of arrival at the airport to departure. He provided a VIP service to these important clients, and was extremely embarrassed when the passengers could not even make use of the non-existent ablution facilities at the airport.
“Despite the runway being acceptable for both private jets, the windsock was in tatters and there was no security for the multimillion-rand jet. They paid a landing fee, but we had to urgently arrange security for the aircraft,” he says.
Tshediso Tlali, spokesperson for the Matjhabeng Municipality, says, the municipality is in a process to refurbish the facility in line with the minimum statutory requirements, and there is a dedicated team in this regard.
“Also note that the municipality is currently conducting due diligence processes for the development of the facility of which details will be communicated once reports are completed. The municipality has also considered long term development of the facility,” he told Vista.
