Community fights for the future of sports fields

COMMUNITY and sporting leaders are “sick of the corruption” which they claim has led to the deterioration of sports fields in Phoenix.

- YOSHINI PERUMAL

Sham Maharaj, of the Phoenix Working Committee, said they had been fighting the Phoenix Infill Housing project since 2018, and was grateful that the city had stopped developments on sports fields after the protest.

“The fact that the city’s speaker, Thabani Nyawose, said they had no idea that land around the Eastbury sports field was being cleared, showed us the level of corruption we are dealing with.

“We told him that the officials need to open their eyes, as land owned by the city was being snatched from them due to corrupt officials in parks and corrupt councillors. We are sick of corruption. We caught wind that there were several developers doing business with the council and that the sports grounds, which had been left to deteriorate, were being sold for R36 000.

“Each piece of land, no matter its size, was sold for R36 000. A developer was buying the land, putting an exorbitant mark-up on it, and reselling it. The land is only developed by the third or fourth developer, who eventually paid millions for the land.

“The question is, who is making money in between? The developers approved by council are not the developers doing the job. It is no longer low cost housing but middle to high income houses which are being built. We welcome the halting of this project,” Maharaj added.

He said a consultation process between officials and the community was needed so that the city could properly investigate the claims.

Dhevan Pillay, of the Foresthaven Sports Club, said a developer had attended a Local Football Association (LFA) meeting last year to discuss how he could work with them to operate a flea market and bar at the Eastbury sports field.

“Somebody signed off on the lease for this land. The developer wanted to collaborate with us. But we opposed it as we did not want children who use the field to be exposed to alcohol, drugs, vaping or smoking. This is not the ethos of sport.