What is the future of multi-million rand sports complex and residential areas?
Middelburg taxpayers would have to pay R20m
The R60m sports complex and residential area that no one wants.
And no one wants to say anything about it.
It has now been four months since the Middelburg Observer website first reported on the dilapidated Naledi sports complex.
The owners are still silent
Despite several enquiries to the communications department and promises, the owners, Seriti Power, are still silent about the complex’s future.
The Mpumalanga Government’s Sports Department has promised an investigation through Buti Ngoma.
“I have noted the information captured about the project, which is presumed to have been donated to the Mpumalanga Provincial Government. The department will follow up with the Provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport as custodian of the provincial infrastructure to get more information and, where possible, take a tour of the sports complex, before any official response can be made.”
Further enquiries were met with dead silence
In early August, reports surfaced about a multi-million rand complex with a cycling track that was in disuse and disrepair.
The complex is 15km outside Middelburg on the Duvha road in the mining town of Naledi.
There is a kitchen, dining halls, accommodation, a clubhouse, a stadium, a soccer field, and a 500m cement cycling track.
At one time, there was also a gym with top-class equipment.
The houses around the complex are still inhabited, but these days, according to sources within Seriti who wish to remain anonymous, mostly by foreigners.
Value about R60m
It has been reliably learnt that the total value of the Naledi and Lesedi complex is about R60m.
The sports complex was originally built to serve as the Mpumalanga High Performance Centre.
Local cyclists regularly trained on the track or participated in events.
Negotiations reached a dead end
Councillor Deon van der Merwe, who was involved in the process of transferring the facilities to the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, said this week that negotiations had reached a dead end.
It will cost the council millions of rand to restore services, which they are not prepared to pay.
R20 million!
An expense that will have to be paid by Middelburg taxpayers.
Naledi has been in existence since 1980
Negotiations over the piece of land have been ongoing for years, although the sports complex only became part of the project later.
Naledi has been in existence since 1980.
It covers 856.6608 hectares with the village built on 44.03 hectares of land.
There is a church, a school, community facilities, 270 houses, and the sports complex.
In 2012, BHP Billiton wanted to transfer all of Naledi and Lesedi residential areas to the city council, but nothing came of it.
What the future holds for Naledi is unclear
Two years later, the company decided to alienate the 270 stands and move the families to Rockdale.
Council would make stands available for R20 000.
According to legislation, a court process would first take place to get the families out of their homes.
BHP Billiton also budgeted R15m over three years to proclaim the residential area.
Still, nothing has come of it, and now it is the end of 2025.
What the future holds for Naledi is unclear.
Those who know… do not want to say.
And in the meantime, a million rand sports complex is falling into disrepair.
Read more:
Multi-million rand sports complex lies in ruins
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@middelburgobserver The multi-million rand sports complex in Naledi, which was meant to serve as the Mpumalanga High Performance Centre, lies in ruins.
