Exner Street netball courts now a gravel pit after contractor leaves town

A stable pathway to participation has been bulldozed by developers.

The Exner Street sports facilities have been a long-serving home for children to find their athletic feet. The netball courts at the Sport Street end of the vast complex have hosted schools, teams from tertiary education facilities, and social development initiatives but are now fields of rubble. Used as a site office for the Roodepoort CBD refurbishment project, the contractors responsible are being accused of not fulfilling their obligation to restore the courts to a level of playability when the project concluded.

Roodepoort Sports Academy (RSA) where the most common patron of the courts before the refurbishment project commencing. In April 2021, RSA held a clean-up of the courts with students from nearby nursing colleges who trained at the facility but within weeks their efforts were deemed a waste. KPA Civils took occupation of the site in May 2021 and left in early 2023, with the only remaining surfaces of the court being where the contractor’s office containers sat.

Disagreement over liability for the condition of the courts

KPA Civils responded to questions denying their need to restore the condition of the courts.

“There was never any agreement put in place for the courts to be rehabilitated as there was no budget for this. It was required that the site be cleared upon our de-establishment on site,” stated KPA Civils Contracts Manager Yuresh Moodley. During the project, KPA Civils fixed the small admin building along the courts, repairing toilets, basins, cubicles, locks, security gates and painting the walls.

Despite this, those close to the project believe it is insufficient and maintain responsibility lies with the contractors.

“There are images to prove that it is not how they found it. We are not denying that it was not the best of sites but it did not look how it looks right now. I’m not trying to bad-mouth them but their attitude toward this problem is sad. We are not saying they must put new courts but hopefully, there can be some agreement,” said community leader and former community liaison officer for the refurbishment project Madidimalo Rakabe.

RSA’s Thabo Radebe, who also serves on the Ward 84 committee in the Sports and Recreation portfolio, is upset at the waste of a valuable community asset.

“All the schools in the area used to use these courts. A girls’ netball programme used to run at these courts but they have not come back. The fence is gone and the gates are unlocked so anyone can sleep or do whatever in here, it’s not good,” said Radebe.

Mixed messaging from parties regarding authorisation for the site office

The courts are an asset under the custody of Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) but KPA Civils claim to have received permission from another entity.

“This location was sourced by our client through the Department of Sport, Art and Recreation. A letter was given in this regard,” stated Moodley.

Displeased, JPC spokesperson Lucky Sindane stated, “The JPC did not receive any request for consent to use the netball courts as a site office for KPA Civils. We are disappointed to learn that the netball courts have been turned into a site office. Appropriate action has to be taken against the contractor.”

Radebe relays that this type of miscommunication and lack of planning from entities is at the crux of his ward’s problems.

“Exner Street is only a small part of the sporting problem. There is no synergy between entities. There is no shared vision for individual communities. They see us as Region C and not as Ward 84,” said Radebe.

RSA has been trying unsuccessfully to include private entities in their development but sponsorship is difficult to attract without long-term guarantees. Radebe imagines a decentralised system that would give more power to communities to manage their assets, but the ball is in JPC’s court.

“In terms of Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003 processes we have to obtain a council resolution to release the property to the private sector either by competitive bidding process or deviation,” stated Sindane.

JPC to assess conditions before deciding the court’s fete

The raw materials still exist for the entities to revive the area’s sporting fortunes. Sharing an appreciation of their importance, Sindane stated, “The facility is still intact however the facility was severely damaged when the private company vacated the property. As a result, the youth of the area has been robbed of an opportunity to brush up their skills by utilising the facility.”

A process now begins that will hopefully conclude with an alignment with RSA’s ambitions.

“The JPC facilities management team will conduct a site inspection to determine the extent of the damage caused to the netball courts. The team will then prepare a report which will guide us on how much we need to refurbish the courts,” concluded Sindane.

Understanding the power sport has to be the platform that all societal goals can be achieved, Radebe would like to use his committee position to link stakeholders with facilities with members of the community driving sport.

Encouraging unity in improving access to facilities, Radebe concluded, “We must push for more involvement and more programmes. because if we wait for the city, nothing will happen.”