Africa-Press – South-Africa. The DA in Gauteng is concerned about the high cost of demolishing the dilapidated HM Pitje Stadium in Mamelodi.
The stadium used to be the home ground of Mamelodi Sundowns.
There have been numerous attempts to rehabilitate the stadium, but it never came to fruition.
In a statement, the DA’s spokesperson, Kingsol Chabalala, said the estimated cost of demolishing the facility had ballooned – from R69 751 997 to R84 961 596.71.
The Department of Infrastructure is the implementing agent of the programme.
The cost includes contract administration, inspection, demolition of the stadium, site clearing and fencing.
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“This money could be used to rebuild the state-of-the-art stadium and ensure that children and the sporting clubs in Mamelodi and surrounding areas have access to a sporting facility,” Chabalala said.
He said it was concerning that the money to demolish the stadium would be taken from the department’s other programmes.
Chabalala went on an oversight visit to the stadium this week.
He said he was “was extremely disappointed to discover that only the concrete stands were left to be demolished”.
“The stadium infrastructure has been stripped bare and the steel bleachers have been dismantled. The demolition of the concrete stands and rubble removal cannot cost the millions that the department has estimated.
“Furthermore, according to the department’s adjustment budget for the 2021/22 financial year, R400 000 has been shifted from Programme Three to cater for the demolition of the HM Pitje Stadium. Programme Three is responsible for the libraries and archival services, which means that our children will continue to suffer without the necessary reading materials.”
He accused the department of not putting residents’ needs first.
“For far too long, the DA has been calling on the department to reprioritise its budget to ensure that the money is allocated to render services for the benefit of our residents.
“The department has not budgeted for the reconstruction of the stadium, yet they are aware that the communities are in dire need of proper sporting facilities, such as this stadium, which will certainly nurture and develop young sporting talent from a grassroots level.”
Gauteng’s infrastructure development spokesperson, Bongiwe Gambu, did not respond to queries about the cost of the demolition at the time of publication. Her response will be added once received.
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