Finally, metro proposes to help the Sunward Park sports ground
The SPSF wants the field to be in pristine condition at all times.
Representatives of the Ekurhuleni metro visited the Sunward Park Sports Field (SPSF) on January 30 for a meeting which served to mend the historically strained relationship between the two organisations.
The gathering was organised by the SPSF, and top of the agenda was the need to end the struggle with the council regarding service delivery.
According to the Sunward Park Cricket Club chairman, Thienes Swanepoel, SPSF representatives want to have an open relationship with the council because there seems to be a general neglect of the facility by the metro.
Other issues raised were a lack of field maintenance and the repeated stealing of cricket pitch covers, which suggest a lack of security at the premises.
Swanepoel concluded by telling the metro that he wants, with the council’s help, the fields at SPSF to be in pristine condition at all times.
In response, the head of sport and recreation, Atwell Sijadu, and his colleague, divisional head of operations Thabo Mokebe, were in agreement that a maintenance plan for the facility will be drawn up by the metro subject to the SPSF sending the council its cricket fixture list.
This is needed to inform the council when to prepare the facility for a game.
Sijadu also proposed there be a relationship-building plan between the two organisations and strongly emphasised constant communication.
He added that council does not suppress growth under any circumstances as long as the SPSF communicates all of its ideas to the council in future – not to control, but so the council will always be in the loop should anything go wrong.
As far as security is concerned, the SPSF is willing to help the metro by bringing on board a security company to guard the premises. This idea was welcomed by Sijadu and his colleagues.
The first step of the implementation of the new metro-SPSF relationship will see the metro create a maintenance plan and a communication programme for SPSF, both of which will be subject to the metro receiving fixture lists from the SPSF.
The council also gave Swanepoel liberty to write a letter to the security company. Council will sign it so that the security concerns can be addressed.
Sijadu’s estimation was that the whole process should be concluded tomorrow (February 9). – @SabeloBoksburg
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