Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Setswana by Nelio Nhacuangue
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Rustenburg calls on the municipality to urgently develop a clear plan to fix and save Olympia Park Stadium. This follows newly promoted Orbit College FC’s decision to move their home matches to Royal Bafokeng Stadium instead.
While this stadium is located within Rustenburg, it is not owned or managed by the municipality, resulting in a direct and measurable loss of revenue, opportunity, and public value for the Rustenburg Local Municipality.
The DA warned the ANC-led municipality about Olympia Park’s poor condition as far back as November 2023. We called for urgent repairs, regular maintenance and a plan to attract more events. Our warnings were ignored.
Now the stadium has been declared non-compliant by SAFA and can no longer host premier division football. Matchday activity that could have supported local traders, taxi operators and small businesses will now benefit a non-municipal venue. The city loses income from rentals, advertising and concessions, money that should help improve services for residents.
If nothing changes, Olympia Park Stadium will become just another empty building that wastes money instead of helping the community.
The DA wants the municipality to put a proper plan in place to fix this. This must include:
- A full safety and structural check of the stadium.
- A step-by-step plan to repair and upgrade the stadium to SAFA and PSL standards.
- A plan to bring in money by renting the stadium for sports, concerts, school events and private functions.
- A clear deadline and people who must report on progress.
In DA-run municipalities like Kouga, sports facilities are maintained and used to grow local economies. Rustenburg deserves the same. Olympia Park must become a hub of community pride and local jobs, not a symbol of neglect.
We urge the municipality to act now to fix the stadium and prove they care about service delivery and economic growth.