Sportgrounds in Eersterust gone to waste after vandalism and theft
"It is sad to think that future sportsmen do not have the opportunity to reach their full potential."
The top-quality indoor cricket facility worth R3-million in Eersterust has not been accessible for years due to vandalism that has taken its toll.
Cables over R80 000 were stolen at the beginning of 2020.
A total of 480m of cables need to be replaced.
Trenches have been dug since May this year and to this day not much progress has been made to repair cables or look after the sports facility.
Billy Beukes, who has been involved with club rugby since 2014, is embarrassed about the state of affairs.
“We won the Blue Bulls C-league in 2014 and then moved up to the B-league.
“As a young player, I ran on these fields myself. We want to preserve that history after all.
“Eersterust has so many talented players, but how are you going to cultivate players if there are not enough facilities? What is the way forward?”
Beukes mentioned that security must also be sharpened.
“At this stage there is one security man patrolling the grounds.
“He does not even have a firearm, how will he protect himself if cable thieves strike?
“All we ask is that the needs of the community of Eersterust be taken care of.”
He said the community itself has stepped in to appoint night watchmen in hopes of stopping cable thieves and those vandalising the grounds.
“The community’s young and future players suffer from it.
“The locker rooms were also vandalised and the players could not even shower afterwards.”
Acting caretaker Pienardo Malo, who is also a member of Eersterust’s cricket team, said the state of affairs is disappointing.
“The facilities have deteriorated over the years, they are dilapidated and neglected.
“At one time we had cable theft incidents almost every day.
“The criminals are watching us and thieves strike in broad daylight, because they know most residents work during the day.”
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Malo mentioned that it is sad to think future sportsmen do not have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Community activist Debbie Moses once again made her voice heard about how the parties involved do not look after the interests of the community.
“I will not stop addressing problems that cause concern in the community, because I have the interests of the community at heart.
“All we can do is hope for better service delivery and involvement in general to address the current state of affairs in Eersterust.”
Eersterust police spokesman Sergeant Sam Shibambo said that community safety is their first priority.
“We will patrol the sports grounds on a more regular basis. We also request that the community notify us provided they suspect any suspicious activity in and around the sports facility.”
According to metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, Tshwane has hired metro contractors who are laying cables around the rugby field.
“The repair of the cables should be completed by the end of next week,” said Mashigo.
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