THE NELSON Mandela Metro is given practical support to two ambitious tourism developments. The city council has signed a 50-year lease with Madiba Bay. In terms of the agreement, the city’s scenic coastal nature reserves will be made available for various tourism-related concessions. Madiba Bay covers an area of 5 577 hectares from Cape Recife to Schoenmakerskop. “At this stage we are limited only by our imagination,” says Fezekile Mahlati, chairman of black empowerment Madiba Bay Holdings. “Attractions we want developed include animal watering holes, a croc farm, tribal villages, wetlands, a monkeyland, rafting, a penguin park, tented and tree-top camps, an ox-wagon village, abseiling, museums and a conference centre. The municipality has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the a group wanting to build a giant statue of freedom in the harbour. The statue, which will depict former President Nelson Mandela, is intended to be a major drawcard on the scale of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Province has provided R2-million for feasibility studies.