R25m spent, but Mokopane sports complex lies unfinished

The construction of a sports complex in the troubled Mogalakwena municipality in Mokopane, outside Polokwane, has raised eyebrows, with millions of rands already having been spent, with little to show for it.

The project entailed construction of a reinforced concrete pavilion with a seating capacity of 15,000 people, a soccer pitch, a tennis court, a gym structure, guard house, parking area, the associated irrigation facilities and a drainage system.

The project received a budget of R38 million, with construction work having started in February 2016, with a completion date of September 2017.

But a visit by the Democratic Alliance (DA) has shown that only a quarter of the project has been done – and about 70% of the work was not even off the ground.

Out of the R38 million budget, more than R25 million had already been claimed by contractors from the municipality, the party said.

The project has been abandoned by the service providers and, three years after the deadline, has turned into a “nest for criminals”.

“Corruption and maladministration have become the order of the day in Mogalakwena municipality. It is a mafia state-run municipality wherein corruption is embedded,” said DA interim leader John Steenhuisen during a “real state of the nation” tour in the area.

“If we want to build a better future, we need to start cleaning from the local government level. This is where the change will be visible. We cannot talk about a capable state when there are mafia-run municipalities such as Mogalakwena. We will put this information before the ministers and the president. We want to show them the real state of the nation,” he said.

Steenhuisen called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to go to Limpopo and see for himself the “highest level of corruption” committed in the name of service delivery.

He said the DA would not rest and watch when service providers collude with officials and politicians to defraud government. He said he would work with the authorities to ensure that those who misused the funds faced criminal charges.

“This is the complex which was supposed to ensure that young people take part in different sporting codes in an endeavour to stay out of trouble,” said Steenhuisen.

Asked for comment, mayor Andrina Matsemela said: “I am afraid we are in a memorial service. I think you know about the tragic death of our mothers and sisters who lost their lives in a tragic bus accident. Please call again, maybe next week.”

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