Alra Park Stadium another ANC-coalition failure
by Cllr. Wollaston Labuschagne — DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni
Date: 22 October 2021
Release: Immediate
Type: Media statement
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni notes, with great concern, the slow pace and lacklustre approach by the ANC coalition* led government concerning the completion of the Alra Park Stadium Project.
The upgrade and the rehabilitation of the Alra Park Stadium has been part of the Integrated & Development Plan (IDP) Priorities for Ward 88 in Nigel since 2016. The aim was to provide an improved and well-equipped sports facility to the deserving community of Alra Park, specifically the sports stars of tomorrow.
The project included, among other things, the construction of a grandstand with change room facilities and upgrading the various sports fields. As the DA, we prioritised and drove this project to ensure that the Sports and Recreation Department adequately budgets for all the necessary construction work.
Years later and this project is nowhere near completion. The ANC and its coalition partners’ only responsibility was to appoint a suitable and competent contractor for this project, and they could not even get this right. The appointed contractor was inexperienced and unqualified, possibly appointed through dubious and questionable procurement processes. The said contractor has since abandoned the project after failing to deliver as required.
The Sports, Recreation, Arts & Culture (SRAC) Head of Department has cited community interference as the reason for stopping the project, which is a blatant lie! The SRAC Department responsible for maintaining sport stadia within Ekurhuleni has failed dismally at this, as they are the very same department that allowed the Pam Brink Stadium in Springs and the John Vorster Stadium in Nigel to fall into a state of complete disrepair.
This, despite Mayor Mzwandile Masina’s promise in the 2020 State of the City Address to promote a culture of sport in Ekurhuleni communities and to reclaim the City’s position as a sporting mecca of the Gauteng Province.
The SRAC Department has confirmed that the Alra Stadium Project will be completed in the 2021/2022 Financial Year. This means that another contractor will have to be appointed, further costing ratepayers millions of Rands.
Ekurhuleni residents honestly deserve better than a failing government. The residents of Ekurhuleni deserve a well-run government that delivers basic services.
The DA is committed to investing in public amenities, especially in maintaining existing infrastructure, including sports and recreation amenities. A DA government will create, maintain, and reclaim public spaces for all to enjoy. We will prioritise the cleanliness, safety, and maintenance of public recreational spaces because of their importance to communal well-being.
#Time4Change
*ANC Coalition Partners: African Independent Congress (AIC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Independent Ratepayers Association of South Africa (IRASA)
Cllr. Wollaston Labuschagne
DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni
