HEIDELBERG, GAUTENG — A decade after its completion, the Ratanda Stadium in Heidelberg remains locked, leaving the local community without the promised sports facility. Despite an investment of nearly R20 million in public funds by the Lesedi Local Municipality, the venue has never officially opened, sparking outrage among oversight committee members and residents alike.
The latest controversy erupted when two municipal councillors from the Lesedi Local Municipality attempted to access the gated facility. Serving as members of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC), the councillors were physically blocked from entering the premises by security personnel. The security guard on duty stated they were operating under strict directives not to allow anyone inside without a formal permit or a letter from the municipality, citing their primary role as protecting the site from vandalism.
The councillors argued that as elected representatives and MPAC members, their mandate is to hold the executive accountable and track how public money is spent. They pointed out the severe deterioration of the site, noting bent and falling rugby poles, alongside a rotting grandstand constructed merely of bricks and wooden slats. According to the MPAC representatives, while an R18.3 million grant was initially awarded by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture—and an additional R3 million was later allocated to complete the project—only about R5 million worth of visible infrastructure actually exists on the ground. The committee is now demanding answers regarding who signed the tender, who approved the payments, and who was supposed to hand the facility over to the community.
The dispute over the stadium’s status extends to the auditing of the project. The MPAC stated that in 2019, a council resolution mandated the then-acting municipal manager to appoint a specialist company to investigate the project and report back on the expenditure versus the work completed. However, the committee maintains that this critical investigation never materialized.
In stark contrast to the oversight committee’s findings, a spokesperson for the Lesedi Local Municipality issued a statement defending the project. The municipal spokesperson claimed the sports facility is fully operational and accessible, asserting that several sporting tournaments and activities have been hosted at the venue since its completion. Furthermore, the municipality stated that the project does not constitute wasteful expenditure, insisting there have been no findings of misappropriated or unaccounted funds, and claiming that the MPAC previously concurred that no financial loss was incurred. The MPAC has firmly rebutted this, maintaining that no such investigation ever took place.
While politicians debate the financials, the prolonged closure has devastated local residents of Ratanda Extension 26, who were promised that the stadium would eradicate poverty, keep the youth off the streets, and create much-needed jobs.
A former youth soccer prodigy for whom the stadium was originally envisioned, expressed his deep disappointment. Having long given up on his own playing dreams due to the lack of facilities, he now coaches the next generation, hoping they will get the opportunities he was denied. Other community members highlighted the severe health hazards caused by the dusty, unused pitch, which is affecting both the children playing in the dirt and the residents of nearby houses.
With nearly R20 million in public funds laying in ruins behind locked gates, the community of Ratanda continues to await the fulfillment of a decade-old promise, questioning whether anyone will ever be held accountable for the neglect, and wondering if the missing funds simply disappeared into the hands of a few. Until then, the gates remain firmly closed.
