Drought hits Bothasig football club

THE DROUGHT in the province has not spared a group of footballers from playing their sport.

The City of Cape Town has declined a Bothasig football club permission to use a field, fearing overuse of the pitch will damage it. Bothasig Rangers made two applications to the City.

“We applied to the Abe Sher Sports Ground in Bothasig to make use of one field to train on. We applied for that field because the club is in Bothasig and it’s only R100 to play for the juniors,” said club chairperson Dorian Sylvester.

“It’s also central for kids from Richwood and Summer Greens and Dunoon.”

The City’s acting director for Recreation and Parks, Jan Fourie, said the department was conducting an audit of its grass sport facilities.

“The club’s request was turned down because there was no playing capacity on the fields in question to accommodate another club,” Fourie said.

“The current drought crisis has also had an adverse effect on the condition of most turf-grass facilities in the city, further exacerbating the situation.”

“It is for this reason only that the request has been denied,” the City’s mayoral committee member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, JP Smith, said.