Metro must fix sports facilities
It took the recent Kathorus MAIL Knockout Tournament (KMKT), held at the Somhlolo Sports Grounds in Katlehong on November 13 and 14, to realise how serious the lack of properly built and regularly serviced sports facilities in Kathorus are.
Observing the appalling state of the Somhlobo Sports Grounds and comparing it to several other local sports facilities that were, at the time, earmarked for these upgrades in Katlehong, Thokoza and Vosloorus, I was reminded of a promise once made by former Mayor of Ekurhuleni Duma Nkosi.
He promised the people of Kathorus a massive renovation of sports facilities after infrastructure was destroyed during the political violence of the ’80s and ’90s.
Sports personalities who attended KMKT recalled how Nkosi promised to build and equip local townships with the best sports and recreational facilities.
Sadly, Nkosi is no longer the leading person, but the unfulfilled promises he made still stands out like a sore thumb.
Almost 30 years down the line and several others have stepped in and out of the mayoral office. However, none of them has taken from where Nkosi left off to improve the situation of sports facilities in Kathorus.
Somhlolo Sports Grounds is an eyesore and not a sports venue the people of Katlehong can be proud of and cherish as their own.
On behalf of the different sporting codes played in Kathorus, my second humble plea to the incoming leadership of the City of Ekurhuleni would be to please do something about the poor conditions at the local sports grounds.
Surely, the metro’s sports and culture department can do a lot more, and even better than just scraping off the hard, rocky surface of the field to ensure the legendary Somhlolo venue becomes somewhere all people of Kathorus can and should be proud of.
Local talent and the community should see it as a venue where they can showcase their talent, without having to worry about a rocky surface, lacerations and serious injuries.
