New sports complex for Mashishmale Village
The community of Mashishimale village is optimistic that young and old people will soon have a Sports Complex.
Construction of the new sports complex started a week ago and it has four phases which will cost approximately R33 million.
Samson Gondwe of Uranus Consulting Engineers confirmed this week that the development of the sports complex is in the first phase.
The development consist of a soccer pitch, a multipurpose hall, wire fencing, palisade, grand stand or pavilion, high mast lights, car parking, courts and irrigation system.
Gondwe said lots of jobs will be created during the four phases of development. ‘The first phase will be completed by June 2015, it consist of borehole for water supply, palisade fencing, earth work, kiosk and courts. The sports complex is estimated to be complete by the end of 2016 if the finances are provided correctly,’ said Gondwe.
Under the Ba Phalaborwa Municipality proposed budget for 2015/16 which was tabled in a council meeting on March 31, the budget for Mashishimale Sports complex is R9million which is funded by MIG.
Meanwhile the budget is silent on the development of Namakgale Stadium. While R500Â 000 via Ba Phalaborwa Municipality Internal Funding Projects has been budgeted for the extension of fence at Lulekani Stadium.
Even under the needs and priorities there is nothing regarding Namakgale Stadium yet R20million was donated to the municipality through the 2010 legacy to revamp the stadium, but since 2011 the stadium has been closed for public consumption and it is only used by the municipality and for their ANC events.
The young people in Namakgale are using dusty grounds to play soccer behind the stadium and in other sections of the township.
The Stadium has no functioning toilets, the netball, tennis and basketball court have all been vandalized and neglected.
Ba Phalaborwa Municipality Speaker, David Maake told Phalaborwa Herald in 2014 that a major budget of renovation of the stadium has been approved and as for those toilets that are not working they should report them to the municipality to fix them.
It is now almost a year after his statement and still nothing has been done.
A coach of Impala soccer team, Essau Ngwenya said ‘Prior to the 2010 soccer world cup we were told that a budget of R20 million has been approved to renovate Namakgale stadium but until today we have not seen anything with regard to those renovations’. Lack of maintenance has made things worse at the stadium.
