The City of Ekurhuleni has officially opened the gates to the brand new Tsakane Stadium, and since August, the community has been enjoying access to facilities for various sporting codes, including soccer, netball, basketball and tennis.

The R78-million multi-purpose sports facility boasts a capacity to hold 25 000 people and is located at the heart of the Tsakane CBD, next to Tsakane Mall and the Faranani Community Centre.

Construction began in August 2009 with the demolition of the rusty grey stands of the old stadium and replacing them with new concrete grey stands, with protective steel bars on the edges.

Construction and upgrade processes also included the addition of a pavilion area, installation of the sanitation and electricity networks, landscaping and the palisade protective wall fence.

“The quality of the stadium is such that it can host provincial and national sporting events,” said Director for Sport and Recreation in Ekurhuleni, Atwell Sijadu.

“We also believe that access to such a facility will create an enabling environment for grooming athletes and teams that will be able to compete at the highest level of participation in their respective sporting codes.”

Ekurhuleni has also started with the construction of softball fields in the the area.

Patrons wishing to utilise the stadium can do so by booking the facility at the Tsakane Customer Care Area offices, which is open Mondays to Fridays, from 8am to 4.30pm.