The following refers, “The City of Cape Town must restore athletics facilities for all”:
It is necessary to correct several false claims made about athletics facilities in the City of Cape Town.
To hold large events of over 2 000 people, a facility requires accreditation under the Safety at Sports and Recreation Events Act (SASREA). But not having this accreditation, does not equal disrepair as falsely claimed (The City of Cape Town must restore athletics facilities for all, Argus, 26 November).
Besides the world-class Green Point Athletics stadium flagship, which has the highest level of SASREA grading, the City is working towards the accreditation for several more athletics facilities in the near future.
This includes pending applications for various levels of SASREA grading for Vygieskraal Stadium in Athlone, Jan Burger Athletics Track in Parow, and Blue Downs Stadium.
Several upgrades have been made to Vygieskraal Stadium since the development of a Master Plan in 2018 together with sporting bodies, including two 5-a-side soccer pitches, replacement of the hockey pitch, secure fencing, and parking for the rugby and football facility areas.
The athletics track was repaired three years ago and remains in usable condition with no associated risks. To ensure events readiness for the upcoming athletics season, the City is working to restore the storm-damaged roof and obtain a sufficient level of SASREA grading.
A Master Plan is also in place for the Jan Burger facility in Parow, where the athletics track remains in good condition following resurfacing several years ago. Minor repairs and upgrades are ongoing and SASREA grading is targeted for this year.
The City is targeting a SASREA submission for Blue Downs Stadium in 2025, which in the interim remains accessible for use by fewer than 2,000 people at a time. Assessments are also under way for civil, electrical, and building improvements.
These efforts form part of the City’s ongoing upgrades to integrated recreation facilities across the metro based on a comprehensive Athletics Study completed in 2021.
Upgrades focus on infrastructure improvements, such as the development of synthetic football pitches, hard courts, parking upgrades, lighting enhancements and renovation of ablutions to provide modern and functional spaces for recreational and athletics use, addressing the needs of growing communities.
Notable improvements have been made to various facilities within the last three years alone, including Westridge Sports Ground, Hartleyvale stadium, and various of the City’s integrated recreational facilities at Bellville, Delft, Mfuleni, Bishop Lavis, Khayelitsha Site B, Fisantekraal, Elsies River, and Blue Ridge.
Where challenges exist at specific facilities, the City is working to address these.
An engineer’s report has been completed regarding repairs and upgrades needed at Mandela Park, which remains accessible for events with fewer than 2 000 people, and is frequently used by schools. The track was repaired three years ago and remains in usable condition with no associated risks.
While Westfleur Sports Ground remains out of commission, an assessment has been completed on requirements for this facility.
The City will further engage stakeholders on a way forward to improve access to athletics facilities servicing the northern suburbs, and to bring about sustainable solutions for the Bellville Velodrome property. This facility was sold in 2009 but has been subject to extensive legal processes relating to the sale, which has negatively impacted the state of the facility to the extent that it would require hundreds of millions of rands to achieve full SASREA grading.
Overall, the City supports around 26 sporting codes across 194 facilities. The broad scope of this portfolio naturally presents challenges to ensure sustainable upkeep within limited resources. To ensure affordability for ratepayers, it is necessary to phase upgrades, while also maintaining facilities to fulfil their ongoing sporting purpose.
The City has allocated around R1,2bn for the provision and maintenance of sports facilities over three years, plus around R138m in capital upgrades over the same period. This forms part of Cape Town’s overall R39,5bn infrastructure investment over three years - an SA record - with 75% of spending directly benefitting lower income households and communities.
* Councillor Patricia van der Ross is the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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