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The uncertainty of 3 Square Grounds

ALEXANDRA – Community members are worried they will lose access to 3 Square Sports Grounds after it was leased to Soweto-based Boys and Girls Clubs of South Africa.

 

There was a lot of confusion surrounding the fate of 3 Square Sports Grounds at a meeting between the City of Johannesburg and community members on 15 February.

This came after rumours of the sports facility being leased to Soweto-based organisation the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Africa (BGSA).

The meeting was aimed at assuring residents that they would continue to use the facilities without disturbance. For weeks, residents of Alex have been using the facilities under a cloud of the uncertainty.

The City’s operations manager in the sports and recreation department, Nonhlanhla Mabowa, said BGSA was planning to bring in a programme that will assist scholars with their academics as well as offer recreational activities.

“There are people that go around the township and give residents wrong information. This programme will help keep school kids away from the streets while helping them with their academics in the process,” Mabowa said.

She further said the education department and parents supported the programme during consultation processes. “If people give this programme a chance, they will love it and take it with both hands and know that their kids will be in a safe hub, getting quality programmes that will uplift them.”

Alexandra Land and Property Owners Association (Alpoa) leader Dodo Shiburi said they have been engaging with the City on sports-related issues on numerous occasions, only to be sent from pillar to post.

He also said that people were not anti-progress but, in such matters, they were hoping for extensive stakeholder engagements as they felt that the community was not consulted on the introduction of BGSA. “We are a community and Alex has been undermined for a very long time, there are associations to be consulted.”

He said the City cannot be trusted because they continually sidelined community members from issues relating to facilities used by them. “The programme cannot go on until the people have thoroughly spoken.”

Ward 76 councillor Moses Pandeka preached peace and order as residents were getting restless and called for a more consultative meeting that involves all stakeholders. “The people have voiced their concerns, what we need to do now is to go back, sit down in one room with all representatives and reach an understanding.”

He said it was pointless to be in a meeting that was not progressive.

BGSA operations manager, Tumi Ramasodi, said the after-school facility-based programme would help children with their schoolwork and keep them off the streets while their parents were still at work. “We come to communities to introduce our programmes. This programme has the best interest of the children at heart,” Ramasodi said.

She said the children would receive a meal daily after the programme before engaging in their recreation programmes.

BGSA is hoping to also launch computer training to introduce learning with technology among the children.

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