These activities include swimming, soccer, golf, rugby and cricket.
Though athletes are happy to use the centre, some of the regular users have raised concerns regarding the sports centre.
Some of the issues raised include lack of toilets and taps for athletes, security, burst pipes and a broken palisade fence.
Golfers Hendry Mngomezulu (53) and Meschack Mouloatse (60), two athletes who use the complex regularly, shared some of their concerns about the complex.
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“We sometimes have an issue of long grass as a result of lack of maintenance in the complex.
“This then means when the grass gets too long, we end up losing our balls that we practice with,” says Mngomezulu.
Mouloatse shares that they constantly see schoolchildren bunking school and going to the complex, which is of great concern. Some of these learners allegedly drink and smoke there while others have sex at the complex.
“These learners from various schools, who we see here regularly, skip school during the day to come and chill at the sports complex.
“So we are pleading with schools, parents and the police to be visible here so that this can come to an end.
“We also believe that part of this problem can be solved, if the area is properly fenced so that everyone uses one gate and there are more security guards,” he says.
The golfers further add that there are lack of toilets at the complex which means people end up urinating at any spot or have to go back home just to use the toilet and then return for their practice sessions, which does not make sense.
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They also pointed out a spot where there is clean water seeping from the ground, which they claim has been reported numerous times, but nothing has been done about it.
“It is amazing that we have clean water coming out the ground and nothing is being done about it even after reporting it for over five years.
“How does this happen where we are encouraged to save water but people who should be fixing this, don’t?
“This is also where they can be erecting a tap as we struggle to get water,” says Mouloatse.
The African Reporter sent questions through to the Ekurhuleni Metro regarding this issue.
Responding to the issue of toilets, spokesman Themba Gadebe says that there is an ablution block that caters for both men and women users.
In terms of fixing the broken fence he says: “The fence was repaired and was recently broken again.
“The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) will however, continue to repair the fence, as and when funds are made available.
“EMM officials will also install razor wire around the current fence to minimise acts of vandalism on the fence.”
When asked how often grass is cut at the complex, he says that grass is cut once a week.
“Regarding the leaking, the pipe was fixed and repaired but there are continuous acts of vandalism on the same pipe by the community.
“The works order was, however, sent to civil works to fix it.
“There were also water taps between the rugby and cricket pitches. However these were closed due to theft of the material to sell to scrapyards,” he says.
Questioned about the security guards, his response was that there is one security guard working during the day and one at night.
Upon visiting the site on numerous occasions, the African Reporters has rarely come across the security guards at the gate.
The only toilets available at the complex seem to be dedicated to the swimmers, there is clean water seeping from the ground, and the lack of taps and the broken fence seems to be problematic.
