‘Caster stadium’ canned for water provision
The pronouncement to build the stadium was made in 2009 after Semenya won a gold medal in the 800m event at the 2009 World Championships.
LIMPOPO – The R10 million that was approved by the Capricorn District Municipality in 2009 to build the Caster Semenya Stadium at her hometown village of Masehlong has been reprioritised and channelled to other service delivery projects.
This was revealed by the Capricorn District Municipality Spokesperson, Moffat Senyatsi last Wednesday.
The pronouncement to build the stadium was made in 2009 after Semenya won a gold medal in the 800m event at the 2009 World Championships.
He said the projects include water services, sanitation, disaster management, an environmental management project and other capital projects.
Senyatsi said the reason for reprioritisation was that water service delivery and disaster management was the municipality’s primary mandate.
“Big chunk must go to these two service delivery projects. The CDM has to rethink spending on unfunded mandate and sport is one of those. All the unfunded mandates had to be left to the provincial government,” he said.
“Municipalities review their spending annually. We have to leave the stadium to Aganang Municipality to prioritise,” said Senyatsi.
Former Senior Communications Manager of the then Aganang Municipality, Desiree Manyane confirmed that the Caster Semenya Stadium was among the three stadiums, Ceres-Rampuru and Kalkspruit stadium to be constructed.
There was no budget for the construction of the second and the third stadiums.
“Now Aganang is dead and our IDP and priority list is with the Polokwane Municipality. A new IDP will be formed and combined with that of Aganang. There will be a council meeting on 28 September and a lot will be discussed. We have to wait for the IDP to guide which project we can do going forward,” said Manyane.
The DA councillor in the Capricorn District, Sepuki Monyetswale said the budget was approved by CDM to develop a sports facility in Ga-Masehlong village (Moletjie) where Semenya grew up and this would be named after her.
“The inability by the ANC led municipality to hold the relevant officials accountable has shattered the dreams of young athletes who wanted to have their own stadium and follow in Caster Semenya’s footsteps. Since then, the municipality did nothing to restore the dignity by constructing a sports facility for the young athletes,” he said.
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