The DA has done an oversight visit to Platberg Stadium after it was reported that local teams are paying access fees, yet no maintenance has been done to the stadium even after a Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) of R 8, 4 million for renovations.
Platberg Stadium is a multi-use stadium situated in Harrismith, It is currently used as the home ground of Maluti FET College. The DA found the stadium in disrepair. Large sections of the grandstand are without seating and the security fence is falling apart to name a few. Only two groundskeepers from the Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality (MaP) are maintaining the entire stadium.
For the 2022/ 2023 financial year, a capital project budget of R 8,4 million MIG has been set aside to renovate the stadium (phase 1) which will be followed by an allocation of R 1.2m (phase 2) for the 2023/ 2024 financial year. No mention has been made as to when the renovations will start or if the tender process has commenced.
The DA will request answers from MaP on when the tender process will begin and when the project will start. The DA will also call for an investigation as to why proper maintenance and upkeep of the stadium is not taking place. The DA remains committed to ensuring that Municipal assets are correctly managed and that there is accountability for funding received.