The once-iconic Gompo Sport Field in East London, where many athletes honed their skills, has been neglected and allowed to decay by the Buffalo City Municipality’s uncaring ANC-led government.
On Wednesday, 23 April, I conducted an oversight inspection at the Gompo Sport Field, which over many years hosted major sporting tournaments ranging from soccer to rugby, and was shocked by the facilities’ deplorable state.
From the dilapidated ticket booth, likely unused for years, to the vandalised changing rooms stripped of essential fixtures like shower taps, toilets, and sinks due to inadequate security, this facility is ill-equipped to nurture the next generation of athletes.
[see pictures here, here and here]
This is the same facility the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) recently described as being in ‘good condition’ in response to an internal question paper.
Municipalities, such as Buffalo City, are allocated funds by National Treasury through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG), which are ringfenced for the maintenance of sports facilities. The derelict state of the facilities raises questions regarding how the municipality is spending this money.
I have, therefore, called on the MEC for CoGTA to intervene to ensure that MIG funding ringfenced for the maintenance of sports facilities, are utilised for that specific task in Buffalo City.
DA councillors will also be taking the matter of the Gompo Sport Field up in the Buffalo City Council and will submit questions to ascertain why the municipality is failing to maintain the facility.
The Gompo Sport Field is just one of many dysfunctional sports facilities in the province, which strips the hope of many aspirant athletes of the dignity to pursue their dreams.
The DA will continue fighting to ensure our province’s youth receive the opportunities they deserve, as sport can be a powerful tool for lifting them out of poverty and into a meaningful life of dignity.