HIGHVELD – The youth of Govan Mbeki Municipality, especially those in eMbalenhle, Kinross, Lebohang and eMzinoni, are in dire need of sports facilities.
They currently use available spaces and can not develop them, because the municipality has not allocated them for these purposes.
Most of the available land used by the youth as sports grounds in eMbalenhle, are often covered in sewage that overflows.
In Kinross, they have only one sports ground in Ext 25, which is being used for soccer, netball and tennis.
The youth said they have been requesting their councillor to assist them with finding a legal place to play sport, but they only get promises and nothing else.
Different sports clubs in Kinross and eMbalenhle, especially soccer teams, said the most challenging is that the sports grounds they use have stones and their players get injured from falling on them.
“We also want to play on a sports field with grass and we can upgrade them if we are allocated land,” said one of the soccer teams’ coaches.
One of the young people said he would like to play rugby, but proper facilities are lacking.
In Leandra they have the same problem and their situation is worse, because they do not have decent facilities such as a Sasol Recreation Club.
The Minister of Sports and Recreational Facilities, Mr Fikile Mbalula, said during a rural sports development programme in Mthata on 4 May, that raw talent must be unearthed, especially in disadvantaged areas.
Mr Jeremiah Dlamini, a Kinross Ext 25 soccer coach, said talent is wasted because they do not have proper sports facilities.
Soccer and netball players said it becomes more difficult in August when it is windy.
“The dust makes it impossible for us to play,” said one player.
Mr Mogano trains children from ages five to 12 years old and said sports facilities are important, because most of the children whom he coaches do not have soccer boots and some play bare feet.
“Imagine these young children playing bare feet and the field is not good.
“How can they give a hundred per cent when they know they will get hurt if they fall?” asked Mr Mogano.
Some soccer coaches said they wanted to use the Sasol Club, but it is too expensive.
The Govan Mbeki Municipality was contacted for a comment on their plan to making sure that townships have proper sports facilities and they said they are still investigating and will give a proper response based on their findings.
Sasol Club Manager, Mr Ockert Stoop, said all Sasol sport centres require rental fees.
He said that the cost to maintain, mark and use of the facilities do not cover the rental amount.
