Gqeberha sports community calls for urgent revival of stadiums

The sports community in Nelson Mandela Bay has called on the metro to urgently repair stadiums and renew safety certificates for deteriorating venues.

The Gelvandale Stadium, a 2010 Fifa World Cup Legacy Trust structure, came under the spotlight recently when the organisers of the Northern Areas Football Association (Nafa) Easter Soccer Tournament moved their traditional opening ceremony to the Fairview Sports Ground due to safety concerns.

Rusted roof girders, stairs and walkways in the main stadium complex and lapsed safety licences prompted the decision.

It has since been established that the Isaac Wolfson Stadium, Adcock Stadium and the Westbourne Oval licences are also overdue.

The issue of the Gelvandale safety certificate first appeared in The Herald on October 21.

It was reported that Highbury FC, who compete in the Motsepe Foundation Championships, were left without a home venue after the Gelvandale Stadium’s certificate was not renewed.

In the article, Charmaine Williams, then-Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) executive director of sport, recreation, arts and culture, stated that the municipality was working to obtain the venue grading certificate.

As a result, the club was forced to play their league home games at the NMU Madibaz Stadium, though they do play some of their games at the Gelvandale Stadium under certain conditions when the NMU stadium is in operation.

It’s six months later, and the licence is still not renewed.

The municipality responded, saying that the process of obtaining and renewing safety certificates for the facilities was still under way.

“The process is informed by the work required to ensure that each facility is compliant and safe for public use, in line with Section 12 (dangerous conditions) of the National Building Regulations.

“The duration of the renewal process, therefore, depends on the extent of compliance work required at each facility,” municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said.

Corroded steps and railings at the Gelvandale Stadium (SUPPLIED)

Meanwhile, the sporting community in the Bay continues to suffer.

Nafa president Clive Kilian said that due to the non-issuance of the safety certificate and the dilapidated infrastructure at the Gelvandale Stadium, they were forced to move their popular Easter tournament.

He said the Gelvandale Stadium was part of the football scene, and fixing it would improve the city’s football environment.

“We need the stadium to attract people to football,” Kilian said.

“We know what the challenges of the municipality are, but we are appealing to them to fix the stadium.

“For 53 years, the tournament’s opening ceremony and all games took place at the Gelvandale Stadium and Grounds.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to hold our opening ceremony there this year.

“We started planning for the event last year, but the municipality informed us this year that they had assessed the roof, structural defects, corroded steel steps and waterproofing, and the stadium was no longer usable.

“While they were inspecting the structural flaws, Highbury and another team were playing.

“However, when we applied to use the stadium, they said we couldn’t.

“If we use it, we will not be able to sit on the open stand with the roof. We could only use the track and the field, and spectators must sit around it.

Rusted girders on the roof at the Gelvandale Stadium (SUPPLIED)

“Also, the municipality did not issue a safety certificate, which led to a meeting with the police and the municipality.”

The police initially allowed them to use the open side of the stand without the roof, he said, but after learning that their opening event would draw about 600 people, they declined.

“We tried to convince them, but they refused,” Kilian said.

“We tried to go to the Adcock Stadium and Westbourne Oval, but we had the same issue.

“The only place we could use was the Fairview Sports Ground, so we went there.”

Eastern Province Athletics, which also uses the Gelvandale venue for its development events, said it had no issues using it.

But EPA race director Michael Mbambani would like to see the stadium repaired and upgraded for future hosting of national and international events.

“The stadium is on our wish list because it has plenty of parking and is easily accessible from anywhere.

“We hope that one of Nelson Mandela Bay’s track stadiums will be graded for world-class events,” Mbambani said.

Derrick Hoshe, an advocate for school athletics in the northern areas, said there was a huge lack of maintenance and supply of equipment at the stadium.

“At the Gelvandale Stadium track, certain events cannot be held there due to the lack of hurdles.

“You can’t even have a steeple chase there because the hurdles are in terrible condition.

“Even at the Westbourne Oval, the hurdles are falling apart,” Hoshe said.

“Athletes cannot hammer throw at either of the two facilities because the cage has not been repaired.

“Similar to the discus cage, these are small items that help with the following and execution of athletic events throughout the city.

“This means that everything must now take place at either the Oval or the NMU Madibaz Stadium.

“If you go to the Oval, you’ll notice that the surface is full of holes, the track is deteriorating and the lanes on the Gelvandale track are fading.”

Soyaya said the municipality acknowledged the delays in fixing these issues and that while regular maintenance happened all the time, bigger problems that needed more money were handled through a budget plan that was set for three years.

“As such, prioritisation is aligned with available funding and broader infrastructure planning.

“The municipality is aware of concerns relating to the condition of facilities such as the Gelvandale Stadium and Westbourne Oval.

“Plans to address infrastructure challenges at these venues are being considered in line with municipal budget processes and long-term infrastructure planning,” he said

When asked why stadiums were still being used in the absence of a safety certificate, Soyaya said: “In instances where safety certificates are still being finalised, the use of facilities is strictly guided by risk categorisation.

“Only low-risk events are permitted, in accordance with applicable safety and insurance requirements, including those of the SA Special Risks Insurance Association (Sasria), to ensure the safety of users and compliance with regulatory standards.”