Democracy blamed as sports fields in KZN go to ruin

COMMUNITY sports fields are lying in ruins with some being occupied by vagrants and whoonga addicts.

Some people are blaming this on eThekwini’s new political dispensation which favours majority rule. However, the eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal has rubbished the sentiment that democracy is to blame for the current state of these facilities.

Janus Horn, acting chairperson of Berea Lawn Tennis Club, said sports clubs used to be a way of life for many communities in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, but things had changed over the years.

“I recall growing up next to the tennis courts at Mandene Park, holding a tennis racquet at the age of four. Children used to play soccer, tennis, rounders and just ran all over the place, while parents played tennis and had a beer afterwards.”

Horn said tennis, soccer, running, squash and bowls were played at Mandene Park. “My dad was the chairperson of the tennis section and later became the chairperson of the main club. My sister, Liezel Huber, is ranked number one in the world in Women’s Doubles, thanks to the park.” Huber is a South African-American tennis player.

“We need the municipality to take a more active role in assisting clubs. It is becoming tougher and tougher for my club to survive. Clubs are given strict instructions by the municipality on what they are allowed to do.”

Some fields said to be in disrepair are Montclair Park, where Ramblers used to play, Bert Taylor Park in Blackburn Road in Redhill and Umbilo Congella Club in Umbilo, among others.

Enzo Coppola, a soccer coach, said the municipality’s decision to take away longterm leases at the sporting facilities has had a detrimental effect. “It would seem that these facilities are neglected because they were established before 1994 and that is short-sightedness on the part of the municipality.”

Thembinkosi Ngcobo, the eThekwini Municipality’s head of Parks and Recreation, rubbished this notion.

“We need to understand the history behind these facilities. Before 1994, most of these facilities were exclusive to white people. Due to the evolution of time they lacked membership and funding.

“As the funds ran dry, some clubs abandoned the facilities without even informing us.

“We have a working plan in place to ensure that everyone is involved in all sorts of sporting activities around them.”

He said that in a meeting on social cohesion when Mike Sutcliffe was still city manager, a call was made for the integration of all sporting clubs around eThekwini.

“We further said to these people: host events such as weddings at your respective facilities as a way of recouping money spent on maintaining the facilities.

“The result was an exodus of clubs from the facilities. We have, I stand to be corrected, between 80 and 100 sports clubs around eThekwini, but very few of them are viable. We lose about R60 million a year through vandalism at these facilities.”

He said the municipality had a road map which was seeking to achieve social cohesion through mass participation in sport.

“Lahee Park in Pinetown will be converted into a medical centre for athletes and there will be a conference centre. We have made progress on this project, having had the Princess of Monaco showing interest in it.”

The Umbilo Congella Sports Club will be turned into a jazz music studio and conference and recreation centre.

‘WE NEED THE MUNICIPALITY TO TAKE A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN ASSISTING CLUBS. IT IS BECOMING TOUGHER TO SURVIVE’