Boardwalk Casino and Fish River Sun chairman upbeat about EC operations.

A woman described as having a "passion for the community" has been appointed new chairman of the province‘s biggest gambling operation, Emfuleni Resorts announced yesterday.

The empowerment company - which owns and controls the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World in Mandela Bay and the Fish River Sun, near Port Alfred - said Bongi Siwisa would replace businessman Khusta Jack as head of Emfuleni.

Her experience includes having been chairman of Zonwabise, a company which represents the interests of more than 1000 people from the Eastern Cape who have shares in The Boardwalk. Zonwabise was set up in 2000.

Siwisa is also a director of various companies in the gaming, fishing, energy resources and transport sectors including Umsobomvu Fishing, the Algoa Bus Company and PetroSA.

A BComm graduate from the National University of Lesotho and also a project management diploma graduate, Siwisa is a founding member of women‘s broad-based empowerment groups Lithuba Lethu Investments and Qhamani Women‘s Investment Trust.

"We are very excited about the future plans for The Boardwalk, and I look forward to the next phase of development after the new casino licence has been awarded," Siwisa said yesterday.

Emfuleni, which holds the casino licence for the Bay region, is one of two bidders for the renewal of the licence and has announced comprehensive plans for future expansions should it win second time around.

The Emfuleni media statement announcing the appointment says that Siwisa‘s "passion for the community has led her to serve on the committees of various community development structures".

These include St Francis Hospice, Emmanuel Haven and the Vezokuhle youth development project. "She has also been instrumental in sourcing funds for disabled, youth and children‘s organizations.