Soccer stadium disgrace persists

DESPITE assurances earlier this year that urgent attention would be given to the shocking indoor state of the uMhlathuze Stadium, the building remains a disgrace and poses serious danger to lives.

The stadium’s vulnerability to heavy rains was again exposed last week as water streamed from the leaky concrete roof joints and filled the offices, change rooms and passages at the home of Richards Bay Football Club.

It teemed down walls and through broken and missing ceiling boards, running along electrical cables and filling light fittings in a situation that would render the building non-compliant in any regular municipal inspection.

The situation has persisted and worsened since the stadium was hastily erected ahead of the 2010 World Cup, when Richards Bay was used as a training base for the Nigerian squad.

Earlier this year, City of uMhlathuze Mayor Mdu Mhlongo expressed anger when the issue was debated at an Exco meeting, urging that priority be given to a list of urgent shortcomings the PSL has demanded to be sorted out before the new National First Division soccer season began in August.

This after a PSL delegation met with officials at the stadium a year ago, with the warning that games might be abandoned before kick-off and home team points deducted.

A combination of poor design and construction, wear and tear, and vandalism has made the amenity an embarrassment to the city.

Ironically, while minor mopping up was taking place indoors on Thursday, SuperSport teams were erecting their scaffolding around the playing field ahead of Sunday’s televised NFD fixture against Ajax Cape Town.

One hopes the cameras did not capture the situation inside the stadium for the nation to see.

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