Across the Eastern Cape, sports facilities intended to uplift our youth and nurture future stars are falling into ruin. This is the result of ongoing neglect by the ANC-led provincial government.
Recently, I addressed the Eastern Cape Legislature and asked the MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (SRAC), Sibulele Ngongo, whether her department would monitor the expenditure of Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) funding.
This funding is specifically allocated by municipalities for the maintenance of sports facilities. I also requested that her department provide regular reports to the departmental standing committee.
Although the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC) is tasked with supporting and overseeing local sporting infrastructure, MEC Ngongo declined the request. She stated that overseeing MIG expenditure falls outside her department’s scope of responsibility.
Following her response, I have now written to the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Zolile Williams. I have urged him to intervene and ensure that MIG allocations for sports facilities are used appropriately and transparently.
My statement in the Legislature came after an oversight inspection at the once-iconic Gompo Sport Field in East London. This visit was prompted by a reply in an Internal Question Paper from MEC Williams’ office, which claimed that the Gompo facility was in “good condition”.
What I witnessed was the complete opposite. The ticket booth is dilapidated and appears to have been abandoned for years. The changing rooms have been vandalised and stripped of basic fixtures such as shower taps, toilets, and sinks.
Gompo is just one of many neglected sports facilities in the province. These sites are denying young athletes the opportunity and dignity to pursue their dreams.
The Democratic Alliance remains committed to fighting for the youth of our province. We believe that sport is more than recreation. It is a powerful tool to uplift young people and help them build a meaningful and dignified life.