Recreational spaces in Standerton are falling apart

Recreational areas in Standerton, such as the swimming pool, tennis courts, netball courts, and several clubhouses, have fallen into decay after years of neglect and vandalism.

The netball courts, located in the Standerton Showgrounds, have become overgrown with bushes through the cracked foundation. The former jukskei clubhouse no longer has any of its original amenities, and trash litters the ruins of the old building.

According to Leon Enslin, chairperson of the Standerton AfriForum branch, the situation is still correctable because the building’s foundation remains strong.

The tennis courts are regularly vandalised. Enslin explained that one man has been arrested more than four times for stealing items from the clubhouse at the tennis courts.

“Every time this man is arrested, he is released without having to pay bail. Each time he returns to commit the same crime again,” said Enslin.

The Standerton swimming pool is another facility that has drastically decayed over years of neglect. The area is scattered with trash and even human feces. Several vagrants have made this their home, turning the former shower and bathroom areas into living quarters.

“This is the result of mismanagement,” said Enslin.

He added that the recreational spaces and sports grounds used to be the pride of the town, attracting people from surrounding areas to Standerton.

Enslin stated that the municipality cannot earn income from these grounds, and money generated from them is being misused. This allegation is based on the fact that although these areas have allocations in the annual budget, there is no money being spent on maintaining them.

“The facilities have been mismanaged for several years, resulting in deterioration that will be nearly impossible to reverse,” said Enslin.
Councillor Alberto Franco provided insight into the municipality’s plan.

“The municipality has a memorandum of understanding with the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) and Gert Sibande District Municipality,” said Franco.

According to him, the plan includes refurbishment of the Riverpark chalets, caravan park, and surrounding recreational areas. This means the Riverpark will no longer be contracted out, and tourism in Standerton might see a revival.

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Lubabalo Majenge, communications officer for the Lekwa Local Municipality, confirmed that these areas are the municipality’s responsibility.

“We are working on a programme to rebuild and restore these facilities,” Majenge said.

Questions remain unanswered about why these facilities have not been maintained over the years and how much taxpayers will need to contribute to restore them.

The Standerton Advertiser asked Majenge who is responsible for maintenance and management of municipal recreational facilities, when each facility last received maintenance or inspection, whether there is an allocated budget for upkeep and how it has been spent, if cases of theft or vandalism have been reported to the municipality or police, and whether the municipality has considered the revenue potential of these recreational areas.