While the upgrades at the Lillian Ngoyi Stadium and road maintenance on Walter Sisulu Road are being welcomed, locals question whether this was done because the ANC birthday celebration took place at the stadium on February 7.

This time of year is the peak of school athletic events at the stadium. The Primary Schools Zone Athletics event scheduled for February 5 has been postponed to February 11 to accommodate the ANC’s birthday bash.

Over the years, the deteriorating state of the stadium has raised many eyebrows and concerns about athletes’ safety and performance.

The Ridge Times reported in October on athlete Lucas Jani’s concerns over the decay of the once-vibrant facility. Read it here:
Hennie Bekker, AfriForum’s district coordinator, said all these upgrades are being done for a political party’s birthday bash.

“Residents in Bethal sit without water, Secunda was left in darkness for almost two weeks, and our roads are undrivable. Clearly, there is a lack of priority in the municipality. Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) demonstrates that it does not care about its citizens,” said Bekker.

An anonymous resident asked why these upgrades were not done before the start of the athletics season.

“The GMM disrupts the schools’ athletics in the middle of the week to accommodate a birthday celebration,” said the anonymous resident.

“The municipality never has money for verge and grass cutting, but now that there is an event, a gravel road has been made in the field near the stadium from Walter Sisulu Road, and grass is being cut.

“Where does the GMM suddenly get the money from? Our roads, sewage, and electrical infrastructure are falling to pieces,” said the resident.

The Ridge Times asked the GMM spokesperson, Donald Green, the following questions, and he responded as follows:

1. Are the road maintenance and upgrades because of the ANC event? If not, why now?
The current cleaning and road maintenance are part of an intensified service delivery programme and the ongoing Mayoral Service Delivery Programme (Ijima Lokuhlwengisa) initiatives.

While high-profile events often require the municipality to ensure routes are safe and accessible for high-traffic volumes, these activities are part of the scheduled maintenance plan. The goal is to ensure that municipal infrastructure is maintained to an acceptable standard for all residents and visitors.

2. What is the cost of these upgrades?
These are not “new” costs because it forms part of the existing budget for routine maintenance. For specific structural repairs, costs are allocated as per the approved 2025/26 Integrated Development Plan (IDP).

3. Are there stakeholders involved? No.

4. What upgrades are being done?
The current focus is not only on the Secunda Stadium, but the whole GMM. This includes:
Roads: Clearing debris, sand, and litter.
Electrical: Cleaning and securing ring substations.
Sanitation: Removing illegal dumping “hotspots.”
Stadium: General maintenance to ensure the facility is safe for large-scale public use.

5. Will GMM continue to maintain the stadium after the event?
Yes. The upgrades are intended to be permanent improvements. The municipality is committed to the long-term maintenance of all community facilities to ensure they remain assets for local sports, schools, and cultural events beyond any single weekend.

6. Have these upgrades affected schools’ athletics?
The municipality aims to minimise disruption. While certain areas may be temporarily restricted for safety during heavy maintenance, there have been no cancellations imposed by the GMM for school athletics. We coordinate with the Department of Education to ensure we respect school calendars.

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7. How much does the ANC birthday event cost?
The municipality does not fund political party events. The costs associated with the event (stage, sound, security for the event) are the responsibility of the organising political party. The GMM’s expenditure is limited to municipal infrastructure and services that remain the property of the municipality.

8. What are the next upgrades planned?
The GMM is currently executing several service delivery upgrades as part of its 2025/26 Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan (SDBIP). Key next steps focus on road rehabilitation, human settlements, and critical maintenance.

9. How does this help with Rand Water and Eskom debt?
By improving service delivery, GMM aims to increase revenue collection. The municipality uses this revenue to service the debt with Eskom and Rand Water. Using operational maintenance funds for debt would not solve the long-term problem of failing infrastructure.

10. Plans for residential roads in Secunda, Evander, Bethal, and Kinross?
The municipality’s current focus is on clearing maintenance backlogs and improving urban mobility in its major towns:
Secunda: Walter Sisulu Road.

Evander and Kinross: A dedicated campaign for road maintenance and patching is active along several “key routes” to address long-standing community concerns.

Bethal: In Region One (Bethal/eMzinoni), recent plans have focused on clearing road-adjacent vegetation and grass-cutting to improve visibility at residential intersections.

Township Infrastructure: Internal street paving projects and road re-gravelling are prioritised to improve access.