Athletes must pay to use Boksburg Stadium

According to the CoE, athletes can only access the Boksburg Stadium if they are part of a club that pays seasonal fees for its members or when they pay R160 a day to use the track.

This comes after the newspaper received complaints from coaches and athletes that they were not being allowed inside the main stadium to train.

A resident shared a Facebook post from William Douglas with the newspaper on March 16. In the post Douglas said the athletics track was apparently closed on March 15 because the field had been booked for soccer.

The following morning (March 16), Douglas said he went to the facility and found it closed. He then asked the guards why it was closed. He was told a football club had booked the field for a match.

“This is a regular occurrence where Jacob Masango (stadium manager) closes the track with the excuse it’s booked by a soccer team. Most of the time there is no soccer but athletes are denied access,” Douglas wrote.

Municipal spokesperson Zweli Dlamini denied this and said athletes must pay to use the stadium.

“It’s incorrect that athletes are being denied access to the facility. Athletes can access the stadium by joining an athletic club, which pays seasonal fees for its members. Alternatively, individuals can pay R160 to use the track for a day.”

Dlamini explained the issues around the stadium had been previously addressed, adding they held a meeting on March 11 with the Boksburg Athletic Club (BAC) and Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA), where it was agreed that CGA would pay seasonal fees for its coaches to use the track.

CGA GM Mandla Radebe confirmed they are in discussions with the municipality but said no agreement had been reached.

“We will conclude the matter once we have wrapped the season this weekend,” he said.

The BAC also confirmed the meeting happened but said there was never agreements of payments from anyone.

Responding to why soccer was booked on the main field in the middle of the athletics season when the facility is surrounded by other fields, Dlamini said they prioritise soccer because clubs pay seasonal fees and their matches often coincide with athletics.

“We have an athletic season from January to mid-March, followed by the soccer season from March until April or May of the following year, catering to various age groups.

“Soccer clubs pay seasonal fees to use the stadium. As a result, they often reschedule their matches during athletic events,” said Dlamini.

The spokesperson reiterated that the sport and recreation by-laws and tariffs promulgation won’t hamper athletics development in the area, adding the municipality supports all sports development.

“There are fees to be paid as contemplated in the sport and recreation by-laws and tariffs determined by council for the use of facilities. We have considered how this can impact everyone, regardless of their geographic location. That’s why we have suggested users join athletics clubs to access the stadium.”

Asked if the municipality wasn’t embarrassed that the public often has to step in to clean-up parts of the facility, especially when it hosts provincial events, Dlamini said it exemplified the partnership between the government, public and private sector.

“This exemplifies a partnership between local government, the public and private sector, where the municipality lacks the capacity to undertake certain tasks, the public and private sector willingly steps.”

On the condition of the track with parts of the tartan reportedly breaking off and leaks on the field, Dlamini said, “currently we don’t have any leaks on the field. Maintenance is done daily.”

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