Great concern over sport centres

EMJINDINI – An advertorial by the bankrupt Umjindi Municipality, inviting businesses to tender for construction of another multipurpose sport centre in Emjindini, has raised concern that the new facility might also be neglected.
Residents’ main concern is whether Umjindi will be able to sustain and maintain the facility after construction. In last Tuesday’s edition of our sister publication, Lowvelder, council placed an advert of the new project.

Three multipurpose sport centres that were built have already caused a lot of debate, mainly because there is a possibility that these structures could stand idle and eventually fall to ruin.

The centres are situated at Emjindini Trust, Sincobile and Emjindini.
The one in Ext 9 in Emjindini, near Kamhola High School, seems to be completely neglected.
While R1,2 million was used for its construction more than two years ago, the centre has still not yet formally been handed over to the community.

A Barberton Times investigation found the “newly” built centre in a shocking state. The surfaces of the tennis and basketball courts were completely dilapidated. Despite this, children were still utilising them. Part of the fence had also rusted and caved in.

The one in Sincobile, which also cost taxpayers R1,2 million, is in a state of neglect as well.
It appears as if only a Caterpillar was used to regravel the soccer field. For a centre worth more than R1 million, it remains a mystery as to why no grass was planted on the field. The tennis and basketball courts, despite being less than a year old, have already been vandalised, which is a clear indication that council has not been maintaining it.

The investigation further revealed that several recreational facilities within the council were non-functional.
These include the Emjindini Community Stadium, two swimming pools in Cathyville and several open sportgrounds.
Despite evidence that sport facilities are not generating the expected income or contributing to local development, the municipality continues to build them.

To many, construction of the new centre is regarded as just another way in which the council’s top-brass plan to benefit their own, by awarding tenders.
A sport administrator, who didn’t want to be named, remarked, “You can keep building more centres, but if you can’t maintain them, what’s the sense of having them?”

Last year MEC for sport, Sibongile Manana, said municipalities were required to plan for the development and maintenance of new and existing sport infrastructure in their integrated development plans.
She said they, however, used these funds for other purposes.

Democratic Alliance chief whip, James Masango said municipalities’ failure to encourage the youth to participate in sport activities and maintain those facilities not only exposed the youth to unnecessary risks, but also hampered the province’s sport development.
Attempts to obtain comment from the council about public expenditure on these projects, were unsuccessful.
Sam Jele, spokesman for Umjindi Municipality, also declined to comment.