Last week Friday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) conducted an oversight inspection to James Motlatsi Stadium (formerly known as Harry Oppenheimer) following a video that was circulated on social media depicting large scale cable theft and vandalism at the stadium.
Apart from the large scale cable theft, the DA found that several areas on the second floor were set ablaze and the building now lies in ruins. Please see the photo here, here, here and here. See video here.
James Motlatsi Stadium was once a beautiful sports facility that for years hosted inter-school sports and athletics events as well as other sports clubs. The facilities included a gymnasium, clubhouses and locker rooms which have now been stripped to bare walls.
The sports facility belonged to Anglo Gold Ashanti and was donated to the City of Matlosana in 2010 after which the facility started to slowly deteriorate. For years, the DA raised concerns over the state of the facility but our pleas were ignored.
The Deputy Director of Sports, Arts and Culture, Mr Hunter Moredodi, informed the DA that the dilapidation was a result of theft and vandalism due to the lack of security at the facility, no effort was made by the City of Matlosana to budget for the increased security needs in each financial year.
According to security guards from MK Security company and Matlosana Public Safety, the vandalization of the stadium began 3 months ago by a group of around fifty Zama-zamas that have gone to extreme lengths to rob the facility. It has allegedly escalated in the past week to gunfire and petrol bombs.
Considering the sheer scale of the disrepair of the facility combined with the City of Matlosana’s rounded R4 billion shortfall for the current financial year, the DA strongly advises the City of Matlosana to sell or donate the asset and by doing so, allowing more capable hands to manage the facility while putting a brake on the millions that have already been spent on improvements and maintenance on the stadium.
It is unacceptable for the City of Matlosana to sit idle whilst the stadium continues to be vandalised and destroyed. Communities need sporting facilities such as these to allow them to participate in team activities for health and fitness benefits and to form strong social bonds.