Pretoria - Football legends Greg Mashilo and Meshack “Touch” Mokoebo walked out of the tunnel at the Caledonian Stadium on Thursday morning, adamant that the inner city soccer venue would not be demolished.
The retired stars, who played many games for Pretoria Callies, as well as Witbank Black Aces and Jomo Cosmos at the iconic stadium, were at a rally being held to support the call against the planned redevelopment of the stadium into the Caledonian Inner City Park. Former Arcadia Shepherds star Garth McConnar made a brief appearance wearing his old club blazer. Pioneer of women’s football, former Banyana Banyana coach Fran Hilton-Smith, was also present.
The council, at its November sitting, approved plans to redevelop the ground that ranks among the oldest in the country, and transform it into the Caledonian Inner City Park.
Arcadia Shepherds Football Club, which uses Caledonian as its base, has appealed against the decision.
Speaking at the rally, club manager Lucky Manna said the Caledonian was the third major soccer facility Tshwane was getting rid of after Berea Park and the Maritimo grounds near the University of Pretoria. The Maritimo land was given to the university to expand its high performance centre. Tshwane got the university’s Hammanskraal campus in return as part of the agreement.
Football co-ordinator for the Portuguese club, Frederick Smith, said the city gave them a notice to vacate the ground by July 2016. This was despite the fact that the club still had a lease valid for another eight years for the ground it had used for almost 20 years.
Manna said the club would oppose the destruction of the Caledonian. “This is only the beginning. Go and spread the word that council wants to destroy the stadium and we are refusing,” he told the crowd.
In his address, president of the Tshwane Sport Council Winston Meyer said: “We hereby declare publicly that we are against the demolition of this stadium and urge the city to reconsider its decision.”
He said they owed it to the people of Tshwane to ensure the only soccer facility in the inner city remained intact.
Sello Nthite, Pretoria Primary School principal, said Caledonian should not be destroyed, but must be renovated to cater for all sporting codes. He said the stadium, which he described as the only Mecca for the people of Sunnyside and Arcadia, was essential to the needs of schoolchildren. “The other city stadiums are kilometres away and not easy to access by disadvantaged communities of Arcadia and Sunnyside. We humbly request the (council) not to destroy the Caledonian,” he added.
Retired soccer player, coach and one-time Banyana manager Greg Mashilo remembered a time when the then newly-assembled national women’s football team played its first match at the Caledonian.
He recalled striker Portia Modise scoring two goals on the day. Jabulile Baloyi, who was coaching a ladies team nearby as the rally was under way, provided an assist for the first goal. Modise has gone on to become Banyana’s record scorer.
Mashilo said: “The city cannot just destroy a stadium where such history was made. A similar stone to that of the Union Buildings was used on the buildings at the stadium. This indicates it as much part of the city’s heritage as the seat of our government. “There is no water, nor toilets, at the stadium, yet a city that calls itself the home of champions is doing nothing to help, and instead wants to demolish it.”
DA provincial chairman Solly Msimanga said he was disappointed that mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa supported the decision.
He said that as a keen soccer player and supporter, Ramokgopa should understand the importance of keeping Caledonian Stadium better than most people. “I will say this to his face. He cannot think we will just roll over and accept the citys decision to do away with Caledonian.
“The city can spend millions on a bus rapid transit system, or build its fancy head offices; that we accept, but leave this stadium alone or lease it out to people who will maintain it properly,” said Msimanga.
He said a petition against the demolition of the stadium would be presented to Ramokgopa, and thereafter to Premier David Makhura, should the mayor refuse to reverse the decision.
If everything else failed, Msimanga said the matter would be taken to court, where he added Tshwane did not have a very good record of success with cases.
Doctor Mayisela, of the EFF, said Ramokgopa was based in Atteridgeville where there were no parks. Mayisela said if the city had too much money, Ramokgopa should start by redeveloping the Lucas Moripe Stadium in his neighbourhood into a park and leave the Caledonian alone.
There were also messages of support from the Arcadia Residents Association and Pretoria Football Association.
The City of Tshwane’s acting mayoral spokesman, Lebogang Matji, said the claim that the city was on a mission to destroy soccer grounds was unfounded. He said: “Our doors remain open for discussions, but the redesign of the Caledonian will proceed as planned.”
Pretoria News