– Secure and protect Noupoort Stadium before vandalism escalates.
– Public money must not be allowed to go to waste through neglect.
– Adopt-a-Public-Space can help protect and revitalise public facilities.
The Democratic Alliance is calling on Northern Cape MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Mangaliso Matika, to urgently intervene and take immediate steps to secure and protect the Siphiwo Ntsizakalo Sport Facility in Noupoort, following an oversight inspection that revealed early signs of vandalism and deterioration.
The stadium was opened and handed over to the Noupoort community in late 2018 by then MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Ms Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, in a highly publicised ceremony. The project aimed to provide communities with sporting facilities while supporting struggling schools and sports clubs. Identified schools and clubs also received sporting attire and equipment.
Almost eight years later, our oversight inspection paints a far less encouraging picture.
DA candidate Woody Collet found extensive damage to the entrance kiosks, with the 5mm-thick armoured glass shattered on all sides. The inspection also revealed other visible signs of deterioration at the facility.
These findings should serve as an urgent warning. If action is not taken now, further vandalism and theft could take hold, increasing the cost of restoration and potentially depriving the community of a valuable public asset.
We are calling on MEC Matika to urgently engage with the Umsobomvu Municipality and SAPS to secure the premises and implement a clear plan for the stadium’s maintenance and ongoing use. This is particularly urgent given the municipality’s reported concerns about a lack of funds to employ security, as well as concerns raised about ineffective law-enforcement intervention.
A DA-led government would facilitate transparent partnerships between government, communities and the private sector through our proposed “Adopt-a-Public-Space” programme, to secure investment in the upgrading, maintenance and utilisation of public facilities. Through these partnerships, private-sector contributors could support the maintenance and improvement of facilities in exchange for appropriate branding and public recognition. This would help protect valuable community spaces while ensuring they are actively used and capable of generating broader social and economic benefits through sporting, cultural and community events.
On 4 November, residents will have an opportunity to vote for the DA and support our plans to protect, maintain and revitalise the public spaces built to serve their communities.