Safa short-changes Alex on Ground One development
ALEXANDRA – A war of words has erupts between Alex football and its mother body, Safa, over the size of a pitch at the refurbished No 1 Square Ground.
The community of Alexandra feels it has been short-changed by the South African Football Association (Safa) regarding the development of the No 1 Square Ground.
A dispute has already erupted between the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association (ANLFA) and its mother body, Safa, over the size of the pitch on the refurbished field, which is popularly known as Ground One.
The community has come down hard on Alex football as the custodians of the construction work, wanting to know why there has been a detour from the originally planned size of the pitch agreed upon between the stakeholders, Safa, the ANLFA and funders, Totalsports.
A fuming chairperson of Alex football, Maisha Molepo told Alex News he was being put on the spot by members of the community who want to know why the size of the pitch had been reduced from the original size agreed upon.
“I am being asked to account and I have done my level best to inquire from both the funders and Safa but I have not been given a satisfactory answer as to why the pitch is now smaller than originally planned,” he said.
“We also want the land that was given over to a beer operation next to the stadium when the then-Alexandra Renewal Project undertook some upgrades on the stadium. We want that land so we can accommodate all the outer buildings that we want to be constructed at the refurbished stadium.”
Safa Development Projects senior project manager, Kgosi Zimba said the cost of the development of the stadium was R8-million and a further R5.4 million was to be disbursed over four years to be utilised in the development and training of coaches, referees and for admin costs. He added that with the depreciation of the rand versus the US dollar, it was then decided to build a smaller stadium but still within Fifa requirements.
“I am not sure where the extra [capital expenditure] could come from now to erect a pitch of the size being demanded by Alex football. The deviation is marginal compared to the magnitude of the project and the impact it would have on the community,” Zimba said.
Two-hundred children a week are expected to use the facility and Zimba described the pitch as a level-two social events pitch which was also tested and certified by the University of Johannesburg Sports Laboratory and is due for its official opening later in October.
