Stadium upkeep is a filthy issue

The Peter Mokaba Sports Complex and its surrounding area comprised of clubs offering various sports codes were once a place residents could boast about, but thanks to a lack of maintenance, this area has become a sore on the city’s landscape.

“The gardens are dry and in a horrific state. The letter T on the west wing of the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex building has been missing for more than a year and the municipality is not even attempting to fix the word, spelling Wes instead of West.

“Whenever there is a festival or a social event at the sports complex it takes the municipality about three weeks before they clean the place. There is rubbish everywhere you look and broken glass on the field and in the streets,” an angry resident said.

A resident who is wheelchair-bound, Craig Fairall, uses the sports hub as a training ground to exercise.

“There is a lot of broken glass in the streets, especially after events. The wheels of my wheelchair are damaged at least once a week. There are a lot of people that use this area to exercise; mothers walking with prams, people walking their dogs, children riding their bicycles and mountain bikers who also train here. It would really help if the municipality cleaned up the area more often and removed rubbish and broken glass,” Fairall said.

Another resident said schools outside Polokwane brought children to the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex for educational trips.

“These learners pay to come and see the stadium and what do they find? A neglected building with dry unkempt gardens and a rugby field with brown patches of dead grass.”

Municipal spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said she would comment on the matter as soon as possible.