A newly constructed R42 million stadium is at the center of a growing controversy in the Matateile Local Municipality, with opposition parties, sports bodies, and community stakeholders demanding a full investigation into the public expenditure on a facility they allege is substandard and non-compliant.
The stadium was officially handed over to the community by the Matateile Local Municipality recently. However, the ceremony was met with immediate criticism and concern, as the facility was found to lack several critical features and fails to meet the official specifications set by the South African Football Association (SAFA) and Athletics South Africa.
According to an on-site assessment, the stadium’s artificial turf and athletic track dimensions are not up to the required standard. The size of the main sports pitch is also reportedly below regulation, raising concerns that the stadium cannot host official league games.
Perhaps most alarmingly, the fan stands have been flagged as a potential danger to spectators. A concerned community member at the handover highlighted the absence of proper steps, making the stands inaccessible and hazardous, particularly for elderly visitors. The individual also pointed out the complete lack of lighting, rendering the stadium useless for night events.
“How can you hand over a stadium? Where are the lights?” the critic was heard asking. “Let’s talk about old people that are coming here. No one will even climb those particular seats there because there are no steps to go up. You know this is a disaster.”
Echoing these concerns, a representative from a local sports confederation revealed that they were not consulted during the planning stages. The representative stated that had they been involved from the beginning, they would have identified the deviations from standard specifications.
“So unfortunately we didn’t even see the specifications… It was the bad news. It’s not actually meeting the standard of FIFA,” the sports official said.
In response to the mounting criticism, a spokesperson for the Matateile Local Municipality stated that the council was excited to deliver the stadium to the community. The spokesperson did not directly address the specific allegations of non-compliance but instead encouraged those with concerns to launch their own investigations.
“We don’t undermine that from our communities,” the municipal spokesperson said. “We felt that if there’s anything that our communities felt that it did not went well, so they can do necessary investigation.”
This response has done little to placate opposition parties and local soccer clubs, who are now demanding accountability and answers for why millions of rands in public funds were used to build a stadium that local clubs confirm cannot host official soccer league games. Calls for a transparent investigation into the planning, tendering, and construction processes are intensifying.
