EDITOR – I read that the eThekwini City Council’s much vaunted Liverpool Soccer Academy has suddenly closed its doors. As there is far more to this convoluted affair than meets the eye, let’s recap.
On 28 October 2014, Ethekwini city council announced a partnership agreement with Liverpool Football Club.
A lease would be awarded to Liverpool agent, Hoy Park Management (Pty) Ltd, to develop the Liverpool Academy on the Kings Park precinct. It is a fact that the conduct and decisions of the Council in this matter are unlawful and unconstitutional. This continues.
Simultaneously, the council declared that Berea Rovers Sport Club was to be evicted from Kings Park to make way for the Academy, because it had a ‘pre-democracy lease’ and ‘predominantly white membership’. Newmarket Stables and other tenants were also to be evicted, which matter is currently before court.
In response, Rovers condemned the city council and threatened legal action. However, a few days later, Rovers and the council suddenly became best of pals, with Rovers now singing the praises of the council. In a deal, arranged by Hoy Park Management and a Rovers member who happens to be an associate of Hoy Park Management, Rovers was granted a 30 year lease and a host of new facilities.
My written request for information on the deal has been rejected by Rovers. On 17 April 2005, the CEO of Hoy Park Management announced that Liverpool Football Club had withdrawn from the partnership with the council because Kings Park was unsuitable and they would move to ‘a permanent home at another site in Durban’. Instead, appearing from nowhere, the South African Football Association (SAFA) would move in to Kings Park. City manager Sithole denied knowing anything about the matter. According to Ms Benjamin, CEO of the Liverpool Academy, ”it was never cast in stone that Liverpool would be part of the Kings Park precinct”.
It is of course pure coincidence that SAFA owns Hoy Park Management (Pty) Ltd.
And so the scheming continues. Hoy Park in Somtseu Road was the original site for the Liverpool Academy but there were issues with tenants such as KZN Baseball and BMW SMG. KZN Baseball was to move from Hoy Park to Danville Park, which is occupied by Virginia United Soccer Club. Virginia United objected, so Liverpool was gifted the Kings Park precinct instead. So, having now bailed out of Kings Park, Liverpool announced it was to move to Danville Park, which is still occupied by Virginia United Soccer Club. Instead, Liverpool moved to Chiltern Park. Just recently they announced that were moving back to Kings Park. What a charmed life.
We have some 40 sporting entities in and around Durban on a month-to-month lease (or no lease), not knowing where to turn and publicly threatened with extinction by the city council, but Liverpool Football Club is allowed free rein and access to public land, seemingly as it chooses.
Apart from anything else, we have the unseemly spectacle of the city manager and Hoy Park Management, jointly and publicly threatening, insulting and mocking ordinary citizens of Durban who are trying to protect their rights.
This affair is, quite simply, a crime against the community.
JEFF VAN BELKUM
