Multi-million rand sports facility finally opens in Limpopo

Finally, Waterval residents in Limpopo outside of Elim Hospital are now able to utilise their R55-million sports facility having waited for over a decade of delays. The Waterval facility is not the only one that has been neglected by Limpopo municipalities. Earlier this year, Elitsha reported on the R1.4-million upgrades to Makwarela Stadium that never happened.

How it all started

The Waterval sports facility, which consists of a soccer field and a tennis court, was officially handed over to the Waterval community earlier this month. This came as welcome relief to local residents who had already lost hope that the facility would ever open. At one stage, it was left abandoned and turned into a drug den and a hiding place for criminals.

The facility is set to be utilised for various sporting codes by the local communities and schools. “At last, our children have got a ground where they can play their football with ease. Even though we had to wait for years for the facility to be completed, we are happy now that the ground is ours. To be honest, I am one of the people who had already lost hope that one day, the facility will ever be used for our benefit,” says Cedric Mulaudzi, a resident of Waterval.

Mulaudzi told Elitsha that his 11-year-old son was not yet born when construction work began on the Waterval sports facility. “I am just happy that my son, who was not yet born when construction work started, will now have a place where he will be able to mature his football career,” says Mulaudzi.

The Waterval sports facility is the only decent, modern sports facility in the area and will be utilised by Mpheni, Shirly, Elim and other local communities.

Politically motivated?

“Why did it take too long for our government to complete this facility? This means that if it takes our government more than 10-years to complete just one stadium!” says Mulaudzi.

Nelson Mudzanani, who was born and raised in Waterval, also has questions about the timing of the project’s completion, while welcoming its completion. “For years, we have asked questions to the local municipality [Makhado] on why it was taking too long for them to complete the project and we never received any response. But now, we are due for elections in the coming weeks, and all of a sudden the stadium is finally completed. I just hope that the timing is not politically motivated,” says Mudzanani.

He believes that the sports facility will go a long way in empowering the local communities. “Those who want to exercise and those who want to play various sporting codes now have a decent place to do so. I just hope that the facility will be maintained accordingly,” he says.

During the handover of the Waterval sports facility, Makhado mayor, Dorcus Mboyi urged the local communities to utilise the facility properly and refrain from vandalising it. She also extended apologies for the delays they endured during the construction of the facility.