WORK on the proposed Soccer Academy and High Performance Centre at the Newmarket Stables site in Durban is set to start this month.
According to Gugu Marawa, chief operations director for Hoy Park Sports Academy, the horses at Newmarket Stables vacated the premises on 31 July, making way for the commencement of work on the property. Marawa said the project was a pilot for the South African Football Association (SAFA) to determine the feasibility of spreading the project to all nine provinces.
Controversy still surrounds the project with the matter involving the Stables Lifestyle Market currently before the court. Attorney Tashya Giyapersad, who is representing Glen Eden Trading 31 which manages the market, says their case is based on the fact that the city did not follow due process and no tenders were put out for this development.
READ RELATED: Traders’ livelihoods still hang in the balance
She said there was evidence that challenged the development on the property and said she was still waiting for feedback from the city.
Saiesha Gopie, spokesperson for T Giyapersad Incorporated, said the City’s head of city administration rejected the company’s application through the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) for documents relating to the development from council meetings where the project was approved.
Gopie said Glen Eden Trading was told the project was a private treaty, however this could only be the case if Hoy Park Management (Pty) Ltd was the only company capable of undertaking this project.
READ RELATED: No campaign can stop us, City Manager tells Stables’ objectors
“The municipality is hiding behind rules and litigation by refusing to allow access to information that was requested by concerned citizens and ratepayers. It is strange that this tender was awarded to Hoy Park through private treaty. The question remains, why did this not go out to ordinary tender? There are a great deal of questions that need to be answered,” said Gopie.
Meanwhile, stall holders at Stables Lifestyle Market are anxiously awaiting an outcome that will determine their futures and possible loss of livelihood if the market is closed down to make way for the development.
