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The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is not honouring its responsibilities in accordance with the agreement reached between local sports clubs and the municipality.

In the long-standing agreement, the Local Municipality decided to make a certain number of sports facilities available to sports management for a monthly rental amount. According to the agreement, if the asset is well maintained and properly managed, the municipality will pay a once-off amount contained in the agreement to the management of the sports club to maintain the asset. Currently, the Municipality has 23 sports clubs in the Metro area.

Unfortunately, the municipality has not been consistent in paying the agreed-upon subsidies. This has led many sports club management to struggle in maintaining the facilities as required. The situation worsened by the difficulties created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement was made to ensure that the community surrounding the various sports clubs can benefit from the use of the facilities. Therefore, the cyclical problem created by the municipality hampers the club management to deliver to the community.

During the council meeting of 31 August 2022, the DA raised an urgent request for attention to the 23 sports clubs in Mangaung and subsequent maintenance work to take place at sort facilities. The use of the facilities is an integral part of the communities that surround them. The broken agreement with the twenty-three sports clubs is another example of poor governance being a detriment to the people of Mangaung.

The DA will continue to pressure the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality to adhere to the agreement and ensure the payments are made.

Issued by Rossouw Botes - Councillor Ward 25 Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality