Budget woes leave stadiums in limbo
Incomplete or vandalised Bay facilities paint bleak picture
MONTHS after the scheduled completion dates, budget constraints have seen several Nelson Mandela Bay stadiums seemingly forgotten, with a number of half-built venues in a deteriorating state.
In 2015, the municipality provided The Herald with a copy of a list documenting 48 proposed projects by its sport, recreation, arts and culture department for the 2015-16 budget.
The cost of the projects totalled R104.5-million, with a minimum of R500 000 allocated to each.
Sport received the biggest slice of the pie, banking R62.5-million for repairs, maintenance and refurbishments.
About R30-million was set aside to upgrade and restore libraries, R9-million for beaches and resorts, and R500 000 for security at recreational buildings.
However, follow-up visits last week to 23 of the stadiums which did not make it onto the department’s 2016-17 budget costing list, painted a bleak picture of vandalised facilities, incomplete construction and an obvious lack of financial investment.
The 2016-17 municipal sport, recreation, arts and culture list reflects 19 proposed projects – 29 fewer than the year before.
Despite many of the stadiums that were visited receiving boundary fencing and touch-ups to ablution and changing facilities, several fell short of the stipulated job specifications.
The Joe Slovo sports fields, which received R2-million for upgrades, has had part of its fencing stolen and work on the playing field was abandoned halfway through its resurfacing.
At the Finnis Street Fields, where R2-million was allocated for the reinstatement of the boundary fence, less than a quarter of the fence was redone.
The incomplete construction has infuriated Bay sports clubs, residents and groundsmen, who question whether the work will ever be completed.
“I was told that the stadium would receive a R1-million upgrade focusing on the changerooms,” the NU11 sports field groundsman said.
“As you can see, all that was done is the toilets were repainted. The taps, shower heads and toilet seats that were stolen weren’t even replaced.
“Never mind the field itself.
“You can’t tell me that it cost R1-million to repaint a changeroom.”
Northville Cricket Club chairman Clint Jacobs said: “I’ve seen these half-done upgrades at numerous stadiums.
“I am certain these upgrades won’t be completed in the next three years at least, by which time it will have to be totally redone.
“What a waste of millions of rands. Why not just finish the job . . . before starting new projects.”
Municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki cited budget adjustments as part of the reason the new budget only reflected 19 projects carried over from the previous list.
“All capital projects start with planning. Then the procurement process follows,” he said.
“Those that we were able to deliver, we delivered and some of them are in progress.
“Doing the work in phases is also another approach the municipality is taking.
“For an example, [for the] Mendi [project], a contractor will finish phase one in April.
“At the Zwide Stadium, the municipality has appointed a contractor to work on the roof. The planning that has been done already will assist the municipality in speeding up the work that will be done on the ground.”
However, a Zwide Stadium groundsman, who identified himself only as Joe, said: “Why are they replanning to complete the grandstand which was left exactly half-way through the construction?
“How could the original plan have changed for the same job?
“While they are planning, the new plumbing they installed was already stolen in October.”
Mniki failed to respond to specific questions about when each of the incomplete projects would be finished.
What a waste of millions of rands. Why not just finish the job