Locals’ employment woes mar Leeuwfontein Sports complex construction

LEEUWFONTEIN – Employment of locals into the Leeuwfontein Community Sports Complex erection project outside Marble Hall in line with the Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality’s infrastructure development programme is marred by controversy.

Local contractors in the area accuse the project’s steering committee of alleged nepotism in the employment processes.

According to the irate contractors, people close to the project’s steering committee are given preference in contracts into the construction of the facility.

Mokkey Khumalo, a local, said even people close to the ward committee were suspiciously hired into the projects while others were sidelined.

Khumalo said the current situation needed serious attention so that all locals could have equal opportunity in terms of contracting in the project.

Attempts to get comment from Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality were not successful at the time of going to press.

The sports complex will upon completion comprise a soccer field, netball and basketball court and volleyball as well as a tennis court.

Abbey Sibiya, Project Community Liaison Officer, told the paper earlier that the project took off the ground from 21 February and was envisaged for completion in August this year.

Sibiya at the time said the project was well underway and no challenges have been encountered since its commencement in February.

He then said eleven locals including five women and six men, five of whom are young people and one living with a disability have already been employed into the six month project.

“The ward committee and the councillor, basically governance in the area has an updated data base of unemployed people used. There is also Community Development Workers and other stakeholders that help identify those in dire need. That is how people are employed into the local projects,” explained Sibiya.

He added that the over R8, 4 million project would go a long way in benefiting the community with regard to infrastructure development and.

“This project will assist in inspiring youth, especially young people in sports as it aims to inspire them to partake in sporting codes of their choice,” concluded Sibiya.

Residents applauded the erection of the facility in that it would assist nurture talent among the youth for their own personal development.