Relief for Limpopo teams as stadiums remain open
Reprieve is only for four months
Polokwane City and Baroka can breathe a sigh of relief as the new Peter Mokaba Stadium remains available to them.
Sowetan reported last month that the stadium risked closure as its safety grading certificate was expiring by the end of the month.
This would have forced the two clubs to play their home games outside the city, but there’s confirmation that the gates will remain open.
“It’s some sort of grace period, because the safety grading certificates that have been issued are for four months,” a source revealed yesterday.
The temporary certificates were issued on August 29, two days before the expiry date.
“In fact, the certificates have been issued by the [City of Polokwane] municipality for three venues; for the new and old Peter Mokaba Stadiums, as well as the one in Seshego.
“In terms of going forward, all these stadiums have four months to check what could be wrong, and fix it before they are checked out for compliance with all the requirements,” the source added.
Sowetan has seen all safety and grading certificates for the said stadiums.
The four-month extension is on condition that, “all fire safety inspections be conducted 48 hours before [a] medium and high risk event’ and ‘that all systems inspections be conducted in accordance with the operational manuals”.
It’s further stated that a comprehensive venue safety management plan and facility operational manual should be submitted before each event. There must also be an SA police service notification and categorisation for each event.
In their next matches, Polokwane City are due to host Free State Stars on September 15, while Baroka will welcome Orlando Pirates a week later. Both these matches will be played at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium.
The old venue is only expected to be available towards the end of this month when a new generator will be installed.
Meanwhile, another Limpopo side Black Leopards, were recently given the goahead to use Thohoyandou Stadium after it met all the League’s requirements for the hosting of top-flight matches.
Leopards will play Bloemfontein Celtic at Thohoyandou on September 16.