The cricket field and surrounding buildings at the Gert van Rensburg Stadium in Fochville on the West Rand of Gauteng are in a terrible state, and the municipality seems to have no plans to attend to the problem.

Carletonville Herald reports that the face-brick facilities used to be popular with players and spectators alike, and a local cricket club used to hold regular practices and matches there.

At one stage, even bigger matches were played at the facilities.

“My heart nearly sank when I saw what used to be a world-class sports facility in such a state of neglect. It brought back memories of the first time I met Dr Ali Bacher—at that very same place, watching an international cricket match,” says a community leader from the area, Buti Mthembu.

A visit to the facilities during the past week revealed the extent of the damage.

None of the buildings has any windows or doors left after being stripped by vandals.

Thugs have also stolen all the metal objects inside the buildings and have left a deep trench at the back of the furthest building, where they stripped an electrical cable.

Judging by the stacks of bricks and ashes left behind, some of the vandals used to stay in the buildings at times.

What used to be the main pavilion and cricket club building is now also only a skeleton of what it used to be. The stairs and path to this building, as well as the rest of the grounds, are badly overgrown.

The last matches were played at the facility before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Members of the former Fochville Cricket Club used to do renovations out of their own pockets.

What is ironic about the situation is that, while the facility was still in a good state, players used to complain that vandals came in because the municipality did not have any security guards in place, but now that the facility is vandalised, guards are watching it night and day.

As the facility belongs to the Merafong City Local Municipality, the Herald asked their marketing and communications manager, Temba Fezani, whether they have any plans to restore the facility and if so, when this would be done.

No answers were received by the time of publication.

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