Apel residents demand functional recreation facilities

Apel

Residents of Apel in Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) stated that they are more concerned of the non-functional Apel Recreation Park and Apel Sports Complex which have now turned into white elephants.

According to residents, the multi-million-rand recreation facilities were constructed in 2015 and were never used as they were not properly completed, despite a serious shortage of recreation facilities faced by the community in the area.

Residents said in many occasions, they have implored the FTLM to complete and maintain the unfinished recreation facilities as an intervention to steer away young people from the streets where they can end up engaging in drug and alcohol abuse.

Despite being in appalling condition, the recreation facilities are having security guards 24 hours a day, which the community says it is a contract meant to benefit those who have connections in the municipality.

Residents indicated that the facilities are in a very bad state without water, non-functioning toilets system and a roof that is falling apart.

Around June this year, FTLM has reportedly spent thousands of rands to purchase and deliver fixed assets to the non-operational Apel Sports Complex. However, during a recent visit conducted by the publication, the assets were nowhere to be seen within the Apel Sports Complex establishment.

The fixed assets include a double saligna school desk, four spinning bicycles and 16 persons’ leg press equipment. 

Christians of South Africa National Chairperson, Pastor Derick Mosoana, said they have been raising concerns about the dilapidated infrastructure of Apel Recreational Park and Apel Sports Complex for many years.

“We have two incomplete projects in the area which are the sports complex and the recreation park which house a tourism centre, currently under custodian of FTLM. Unfortunately millions went missing in those projects which were supposed to be equipped with grasses and some equipment. The main halls does not even have chairs,” he said.

Mosoana added that the issues were raised in an Auditor General’s report, however, the local municipality could not act after pointing the problem on service providers.

“The maladministration happened during the tenure of then Mayor Kuki Sefala who is now promoted to the district level as MMC. You can tell that mediocrity is always rewarded in the current government. This is a disadvantage because young people who are now abusing drugs and falling victims of teenage pregnancy and other social ills should have participants in those recreation parks. This is an indication that government is failing in terms of improving the livelihood and taking care of young people,” he said.

Mosoana said they need professionalization of the local government because it is not producing results when done in a comrade way.

“There is also a need for a possibility to centralizing powers and functions of constructions. There is a need to go back to ancient plans where the Department of Public Works was the one entrusted in building and maintaining these facilities because these comrades in the municipalities are not up to the task,” he said.

At the time of going to press, FTLM Spokesperson, Mahlako Komane, could not respond to enquiries sent by the publication.