LIMPOPO – After years of standing incomplete and abandoned, construction at the Section-E Stadium in Giyani is set to resume, bringing renewed hope to residents and local sports enthusiasts who have long raised concerns about its condition.

According to Greater Giyani municipal spokesperson Steve Mavunda, the long-awaited project will move forward after the municipality allocated more than R10 million to kick-start the initial phase of construction during the recent budget presentation.

Mavunda explained that repair and construction work will be carried out in strategic phases until the stadium is fully completed. “This is a massive infrastructure project that cannot be completed within one fiscal year; it will therefore be implemented in phases over multiple financial years until completed,” he said.

Mavunda said the current allocation is intended to restart construction and address the repairs, not to finalise the entire project. “We are currently in the process of appointing a contractor. This could happen within a week or so, but I don’t want to commit to specific timelines as I am not directly involved in the contractor selection process,” he added.

Meanwhile, the construction of the stadium began around 2015 with an initial budget of R25.2 million.

However, the funds were exhausted before the project could be completed. The funds only managed to complete the grandstand, palisade fence, and the entrance gate, which have now been vandalised along with other parts of the stadium due to prolonged abandonment.

The outstanding work to be undertaken by the new contractor includes completing the football pitch, changing rooms, ablutions, and a tennis court.

“This will also address security concerns at the site, as the contractor will deploy private security during construction,” explained Mavunda.

The local football fraternity has also expressed frustration over the delays, saying it compromises sports development in Giyani. G

iyani SAFA Local Football Association (LFA) general secretary Rodrick Rikhotso said the stalled facility disrupts their sports development plans. “Our sports development programmes are forced to share Giyani Stadium due to a lack of alternative venues,” said Rikhotso.

He added that the Homu Sports Centre, which was supposed to serve as an alternative venue due to its proximity to Giyani town, does not meet the required football requirement standard and therefore cannot be used to host official matches.