CoE is blamed for stadium’s state
“We’ve been asking them to lease the facility to the BNLFA so that we can go out and look for assistance with the renovations and upkeep of the stadium.”
Benoni North Local Football Association (BNLFA) president Mthunzi Nxumalo blamed the maintenance issues at Sinaba Stadium on poor management from the CoE.
Nxumalo said the facility was an eyesore with piles of garbage along the fence and thick vegetation inside. He added that it also had no electricity or running water, and the ablution facilities did not work.
This latest salvo comes as the municipality continues to receive criticism for its poor maintenance of sports and recreational facilities in most areas in the region.
“There’s no electricity since the main cable was stolen three years ago. There’s no water, and the toilets aren’t working. The problem is poor management from the CoE.
“We’ve been asking them to lease the facility to the BNLFA so that we can go out and look for assistance with the renovations and upkeep of the stadium,” he said.
He said the original plan for the facility detailed that there were supposed to be four fields outside the main pavilion for training and hosting league matches. But this was not the case because the plan wasn’t followed.
The part of the stadium reserved for these fields has mountains of litter and is full of thick vegetation and overgrown grass.
There’s one pitch on the far side, but it’s not grassed, while the athletics track on the far side has still not been renovated.
The main stadium’s walls could do with a lick of paint, while the grass on the pavement surrounding the facility is overgrown, and the TLB still stands on bricks after the alleged theft of its wheels months ago.
Nxumalo pleaded with the municipality to lease the facility to the BNLF, stating it would be well-maintained so that it could go back to hosting the DStv Diski Challenge and international matches for Banyana Banyana.
“We are asking the municipality to give it to us so we can maintain it. Some people want to help us, but they want to see the lease agreement. Sinaba Stadium was always on the map, but it has been reduced to a substandard facility.
“We plan to complete the original plan. There should have been about four training fields outside the main ground. The lease will help us get funds to build a bigger complex to accommodate everyone in our community,” said Nxumalo.
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