CBD tennis facility serves up further rot
Did you play or watch tennis at this facility? Share your memories with us. Email it to benonicitytimes@caxton.co.za
A part of the perimeter wall around the Walmsley Park tennis courts, on the corner of Turvey Street and Kemston Avenue in Benoni Central, has collapsed.
The outer brick wall and corrugated iron sheet on the inside have both fallen in, leaving the entire facility accessible to vandals.
While the tennis court’s fencing, poles and some of the steel grandstands remain untouched, some steel seats on the supporter stands appear to have been removed, either because of rust or theft.
The facility has been unused since 2017 when the Benoni Central Tennis Club left, apparently due to decreasing membership and financial constraints.
Last year, the Benoni City Times reported the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) was planning to lease the facility out with full maintenance, including operational maintenance to any club or entity that would promote tennis and any other sport on hard courts.
At the time, the paper found the facility in an appalling condition. Grass and thick vegetation had overgrown all the eight courts, and most of the steel grandstands had collapsed.
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The wood on the stands was also rotten and part of the fence dividing the courts had collapsed while overgrown grass surrounded the clubhouse, main grandstand and parking.
During our visit on October 9, not much had changed. The neglect of this facility continues.
Looking in from the collapsed wall, overgrown grass and thick vegetation cover the red and green court surfaces on all tennis courts while uncut trees grow in front of the main pavilion.
The entire facility is unkempt and littered with rubble and garbage while parts of the wall reek of urine and faeces.
CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini explained in a query sent to the municipality last year there was a need to have the Walmsley Park courts operational through a lease agreement for the development of tennis.
We have sent the city another query on the progress of the lease plans.
• Did you play or watch tennis at this facility? Share your memories with us via email – benonicitytimes@caxton.co.za
Also Read: WATCH: Western Ext tennis facility rotting
