Ga-Marishane youth side-lined, R200-00 fee shuts down free sports programmes
GA-MARISHANE – For years, the Ga-Marishane Sports Facility was a free hub where boys and girls trained after school and schools organize weekend games. Now residents say that hub is empty after Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality (MLM) introduced a R200-00 usage fee for every session.
The community helped build the tennis and netball courts with their own money before MLM took over for upgrades. Residents say the new charge applies even to practice and training, not just tournaments.
The impact was immediate. A local coach stopped free soccer training for young boys because he cannot afford R200-00 per session.
“Now those boys have nowhere to go after school,” one resident who asked not to be named said. Several grassroots netball, tennis and soccer programmes have collapsed.
Residents fear the fallout goes beyond sport. “We were using the facility for free and it kept our children busy. Now we’re paying for it with crime and drugs,” a concerned resident said. Parents link idle afternoons to more loitering and petty crime in the area.
There is also anger over ownership. Many contributed labour and money to build the courts and feel betrayed being charged to use them. “How can they collect revenue on the facility that does not actually belong to the municipality?” one resident asked.
Residents also question the quality of the upgrade. They say the soccer pitch was shortened to about 80m instead of 100m, toilets are not working, high-mast lights are failing, the turf is patchy and eroded, and boreholes are dilapidated with no water. Local schools now struggle to find affordable alternatives for inter-school practice.
However, the Makhuduthamaga Municipality stands by Ga-Marishane Sports Facility fee and has defended its decision to charge R200-00 per session.
Municipal Spokesperson, Thomas Mashabela, said the council is reviewing policies that regulate budget implementation and facility management.
“The Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality Council continues to formulate and review policies regulating the implementation and management of the allocated budget, particularly of recent, policies aimed at managing municipal facilities, revenue management and generating prospects,” he said.
Mashabela added that revenue collected gets channelled towards service delivery initiatives in line with IDP priorities.
“The municipality generates its own revenue from a variety of sources, including but not limited to sports and community facilities, in accordance with the facilities policy and tariffs that were reviewed during the current financial year 2026/2027,” he explained.
According to Mashabela, event organisers in and around Ga-Marishane, as well as those outside of the municipality, are responsible for processing facility rates in accordance with several event categories stipulated in municipal tariffs and terms and conditions presented during booking processes.
“The municipality continues to improve the conditions of community sports grounds to provide alternative options for social and sports organisers, who continue to unite residents and focus young people on sporting events that promote a healthy and community lifestyle,” he said.
Mashabela stated that the revenue collected goes towards maintaining and improving all facilities and related initiatives.
