Despair as Lahee Park falls into state of disrepair

A PARK which has potential to be one of South Africa’s recognised destinations for high performance sport is turning into a dump.

The Lahee Park Sport precinct which was once a home to top athletes has been taken over by criminals, homeless people and illegal dumping.

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Only three sports clubs remain in what used to be a thriving sports complex.

Manager of the Pinetown Gymnastics Club, Allan Chadwick said it makes him sad that a place which could be used by many young people, is slowly fading away.

“In our country, we are already short of sport facilities and the park which was once alive with activities is falling into pieces. What is more sad is that our top athletes are relocating to other countries.”

“We had so many clubs of which most have moved, the clubhouses have been vandalised and stripped. The 11 tennis courts and fields are surrounded by overgrown bushes. Over the past three months, two of my staff have been attacked on their way to work, the park is unsafe,” he said.

The concerned manager said all he asked for was for the municipality to fence the area, look after it and restore the buildings, ”action is needed and the longer this matter get ignored, the worse this place turns,” he said.

Chadwick suggested that the park should be closed at night. “The streets lights have not worked for the past three years and have now mostly been vandalized. A new occurrence in the last week is the theft of the underground cables which will escalate any repair costs tremendously,” said Chadwick.

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He pointed out that the hockey and athletics club houses are completely stripped despite being guarded.

In 2017, eThekwini Municipality sent a statement about Lahee Park redevelopment proposals getting the green light, but after five years later, nothing has been done.

The city manager at that time said the redevelopments included upgrading the existing facilities as well as the establishment of new facilities and infrastructure to re-establish Lahee Park as the premier sporting precinct.

Emails were sent to the eThekwini Municipality to get answers as to what was the cause for the delays and the plans for the park but received no response by the time of publishing.

Ward 18 councillor, Melanie Brauteseth who mentioned in her interview with the Highway Mail when she was re-elected as the councillor that the Lahee Park issue will be among her top priorities said she will write to the municipality and see if there are any updates now that the pandemic restrictions are adjusted.