POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Municipality has responded to demands for accountability from political party Born To Win (BTW) over deteriorating sports facilities, following concerns published by Polokwane Observer last week.

BTW spokesperson Suzan Mapiti raised concerns about what the party described as deteriorating facilities, poor project management and questionable expenditure.

The party cited the old Peter Mokaba Stadium, the Seshego Tennis Court and other municipal facilities.

Water outage at stadium ‘unacceptable’

The party said a water outage at the old stadium during the Polokwane City versus Kaizer Chiefs fixture on September 12 was unacceptable, alleging that both teams were left without running water and could not shower, with water drums arriving only at half-time.

It also questioned millions reportedly spent on the Seshego Tennis Court.

Municipal response

In response to written questions from Polokwane Observer, municipal spokesperson Willy Mosoma said the municipality approaches service delivery with accountability and that sports facilities are public assets that must be maintained.

On the stadium water outage, Mosoma confirmed a water-supply challenge on the day of the fixture.

“The disruption emanated from reduced water supply on the line operated by the municipality’s bulk-water supplier, Lepelle Northern Water,” he said.

He said the municipality responded by deploying water tankers and additional water containers at comfort stations.

The municipality also communicated with residents and escalated the matter, with Mayor John Mpe engaging the chairperson of the Lepelle Northern Water Board, he confirmed.

“It is important to distinguish between the management of municipal facilities and the operation of the bulk-water supply system,” Mosoma said, adding that the municipality remains responsible for responding to interruptions.

Seshego Tennis Courts

On the Seshego Tennis Courts issue, the municipality confirmed it appointed a contractor to refurbish the Polokwane Tennis Courts, including Seshego, in preparation for the Association of Tennis Professionals tournament held in the 2023/2024 period.

It said the programme focused on the courts and did not extend to buildings, and that the work was completed and paid for.

Calls for budget breakdown

Regarding BTW’s demand for a breakdown of the budget, contractor, work completed, payments and responsible officials, the municipality said records must be verified against official procurement and expenditure documentation.

“The municipality is committed to ensuring that information relating to public expenditure is supported by accurate and verifiable institutional records,” Mosoma said.

Maintenance assessments

On maintenance, he said annual assessments are conducted and upkeep is aligned with the Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP).

Lepelle Northern Water yet to respond

Questions were sent to Lepelle Northern Water regarding the cause and mitigation of shortages during major events. The bulk supplier had not responded by the time of going to print.