Club leases a two-edged sword

A MIGHTY row is in the making over the City of uMhlathuze’s proposal to charge commercial rates to sport clubs occupying premises on municipal land traditionally subsidised by council.

While there can be no justification for those operating private business on such council funded premises, to raise club leases to the level where they simply cannot afford to operate, is of no benefit to anyone.

Clubs are, or should be, not-for-profit organisations, run primarily by volunteer committees who receive no payment.

They operate through annual membership fees, which obviously need to be affordable and should cover the costs of maintaining the club.

Their purpose is to provide for recreational as well as competitive and non-competitive sport and leisure opportunities for the city’s residents.

After all, when the city wants to attracts investors it lists the amenities available for their future employees.

The benefit of these facilities also extends further to holidaymakers who boost the local tourism coffers.

A good example of this would be the huge annual fishing competitions that attract hundreds of entrants from all parts of the country, increasing hotel and B&B accommodation, takings at restaurants and filling stations and a host of other benefits.

The argument has already been made by a number of the affected clubs that they employ a significant number of people whose source of income will be lost if they are forced to close over the higher lease amounts.

They further argue that they attempt to draw membership from all sectors of society and have implemented development programmes to attract and promote residents who previously were denied opportunity.

They have also spent vast sums of money upgrading the building and grounds, making them more aesthetically appealing and enhancing the city’s status as a tourist venue.

Those clubs located at waterfront areas have invested considerable amounts building erosion defences against rising ocean levels.

The clubs are also used as venues for various community events – including charity fund-raisers, tourism functions and even council-related gatherings.

Council needs to treat every organisation separately, based on individual merit.

Forcing them to close because of financial constraints will be counter-productive.

Punish those that are masquerading as clubs while actually running private businesses, but support those which are valid assets to the city.

Council also needs to be reminded as they prepare to ‘free up’ prime waterfront land for development, that such plans will be met with a certain amount of skepticism.

Hasty evictions to make way for ‘development’ have happened in the past, such as The Ridge in Meerensee, the YMCA premises at Greenhills and the popular Croc Farm: all about two decades ago…and we are still waiting for the developments to happen that were deemed so urgent.