Metro to address cricket club’s concerns
Last week, the Brakpan Herald reported on the problems faced by United Cricket Club, regarding infrastructural issues at the club.
The Premier League cricket match between United and CBC Old Boys was cancelled and the points subsequently shared after a severe sewage spill that posed health risks to the players.
Des Gamble, facility manager and Premier League team manager, made a desperate plea to the Ekurhuleni Metro to urgently come to the party before things spiral out of control and force the club to close down.
Missing manhole covers, broken PVC pipes at the back wall of the grandstand, the collapsed sightscreen on the A-field, sub-standard sight screens on the B-field and non-existent floodlights on the A and B-fields were some of the other concerns listed.
A request for comment and for action to be taken was sent by the Herald to the Ekurhuleni metro on Tuesday, October 28.
Comment from the metro spokesman Themba Gadebe was received on Monday, November 3.
In the official response Gadebe said that the metro’s sports department is aware of the issues facing United Cricket Club.
“The sewer blockage has been reported to the metro’s infrastructure department,” he said.
“They have attended to it; however the recurrence poses a challenge.
“The matter is receiving attention and the manholes will be replaced.”
When the Herald questioned whether the metro is prepared to lose a legitimate sports club that is creating opportunities for Ekurhuleni residents in sport the reply was: “The metro cannot afford to lose a legitimate sports club, which is why when the EJCCA u-15 tournament is held (which take place around June and July every year) the club informs the municipality of issues that require attention and they are attended to.”
With regards to the other issues the spokesman added that the metro will reconstruct the sight screen according to required standard and will also strengthen both sight screens on field B.
“The department has involved the services of the energy department to find a resolve to the floodlights and the PVC pipes in question will be replaced with new ones and the metro will endeavour to find a method that will ensure that they are neither stolen nor vandalised.”
