Rabie Ridge community urges the city to fix a fallen wall at Rabie Ridge Sports Stadium

The community of Rabie Ridge is apprehensive about the current state of Rabie Ridge Sports Stadium.

The fields of the sports complex are being maintained by the city but there is a significant issue with a fallen wall that has been left unrepaired for more than a year.

The community claims that this is not only posing a threat to athletes and visitors but also putting the facility’s infrastructure at risk.

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The fallen wall located at the corner of Rietduiker Road and Still Avenue has been left unrepaired, leaving a gaping hole that people, including sports fans, are using instead of the facility’s gate to enter.

This is a significant problem, especially considering the area’s high crime rate and other social ills. The residents are convinced that the fallen wall is an open invitation for criminals to gain access to the stadium and steal whatever they can.

Calvin Batham, a community leader of Rabie Ridge, is outraged by the situation. He claims that the city is blaming the residents for the damage to the facility, ‘which is unacceptable’.

“The wall has been broken for months, and the residents have reported it to the city multiple times, but nothing has been done to fix it. The residents would never destroy a facility that was built for them and their children to be a better vision of themselves through sports,” Bantham said.

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“The wall needs to be fixed as soon as possible as it poses a significant danger to everyone.”

The sports facility hosts essential community projects, school sports competitions, and football matches. It was even utilised as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, after seating, change rooms, and stadium management facilities were upgraded to Fifa standards in 2010.

However, the sports complex has faced its fair share of ups and downs as it had to be closed in 2016 due to a lack of funds to complete the stadium. Fortunately, it was reopened in 2018.

The residents believe that the sports complex might close again, and not be able to recover if the city fails to repair minor problems such as the fallen wall.

The assistant director for the City of Johannesburg Citizen Relationship and Urban Management Region A, Pierre Nel, confirmed that the city was aware of the fallen wall and was working towards repairing it.

However, there was no timeline for when the wall would be fixed.

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