Sports clubs in Qonce have written to co-operative governance minister Velenkosini Hlabisa and sports minister Gayton McKenzie requesting their urgent intervention to stop the planned demolition of the Victoria Mxenge Grounds to make way for the proposed “Steve Biko mall”.
This is despite the Buffalo City Metro Development Agency (BCMDA) forging ahead with plans to appoint an adjudicator to hold public hearings to reach consensus after interest groups could not agree on the matter.
The move to stall the plans, anchored by the King Sports Veterans along with Border Cricket, King William’s Town Netball Association and the Steve Biko Foundation — which publicly opposed the struggle icon's name being used for the mall project — comes almost a decade after BCM council gave the project the green light.
In a joint memorandum submitted to Hlabisa and McKenzie, dated November 25, they called for the halting of the project.
King Sports Veterans’ Thembani Tom said they had given both ministries until January to respond.
In the letter, seen by the Dispatch, Tom said the process was a gross violation of municipal supply chain management regulations.
“The BCMDA has already given an award letter to the prospective developer long before the consultation process started.
“Victoria Sports Ground fell into disuse and in a state of disrepair [allegedly] deliberately under the watchful eye of [the metro and] BCMDA.
“Little did we realise that this was a projected deliberate ploy and [an allegedly] corrupt related tactic to sell this historic and heritage site/asset to this fraudulently appointed developer [at] a price next to absolutely nothing. This is a huge discomfiture and discontentment to the community of Qonce.”
Tom said: “This [allegedly] flawed and irregular appointment of this developer must be halted with immediate effect. The ongoing consultation must also be stopped.
“In reality, you cannot appoint and award a developer [while] you are still busy with the highly legislated consultation processes on the same project.
“This is bordering [on] fraudulent activity, which must be thoroughly investigated.”
Border Cricket’s Lunga Booi said: “As Border Cricket, we strongly believe that retaining Victoria Sports Grounds will be a great advantage and progressive gesture for generations to come.
“We played cricket and rugby at the Victoria Sports Grounds. There are lots of good and excellent stories about the grounds. Runs and wickets were scored and taken, respectively.
“ ... We are of the view that our government must assist all the sporting codes and youngsters that were playing at Victoria Sports Grounds, and it must be fully renovated to reach its former glory.”
The netball association said they supported the building of a mall but urged the municipality to find suitable alternative land for the project to enable the growth of the town.
Neither McKenzie nor Hlabisa’s offices responded to questions by the time of writing, but the letter’s authors said they had received an acknowledgment of receipt from the two ministers.
In November 2023, BCMDA chief executive Ayanda Gqoboka announced plans to appoint an adjudicator in the 13 wards encompassing Qonce in an attempt to resolve the impasse.
The decision was taken during a stakeholder consultation meeting the same month, but the gathering ended in a stalemate.
BCMDA spokesperson Nomkitha Zokufa said no adjudicator had been hired.
“The report on the public participation process is still being developed and its recommendations and screening committee and council input will determine the next steps,” she said.
In recent years, the agency has been in a conundrum, as it battled to find alternative land for the development project with the developer, Twin City Pty (Ltd), refusing to pull out of the deal.
Twin City has rejected alternative sites in Bhisho, insisting that the mall be erected at the Victoria Mxenge Grounds precinct, which is near the N2.
During the November meeting, a suggestion that it be built at the Qonce Botanical Gardens, opposite the Victoria Mxenge Grounds site, was rejected by the developer.
Twin City’s representative, Mazwi Yako, proposed building a sports field on another site in Qonce to replace the Victoria Grounds.
However, the developer’s offer of a R15m donation for this purpose was turned down by the King Sports Veterans Association.
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