JOHANNESBURG - Tshwane Mayor Solly Msimanga on Monday, said that R35 million had been set aside in the 2018/19 financial year for the refurbishment works at the Caledonian Stadium which is now in a state of disrepair.
Pretoria News reported that the Caledonian Stadium in the city centre had fallen on hard times and had been reduced to a drug den. According to the report, drug users have stripped the stadium of infrastructure and vandals had moved in as lack of maintenance left the stadium in a bad state.
"Our intention is and always has been to restore this great asset to its former glory. With the allocated funds, the stadium will have a soccer museum, multi-purpose hall and a sports retail shop, which will attract tourists with the display of Tshwane football legends content," Msimanga said.
Msimanga said the intention was also to nurture talent development within young people which was being hampered by the continued vandalism of the facility.
During its heyday, the stadium was the breeding ground for the likes of soccer greats George Lebese, Bongani Khumalo and Tiyani Mabunda, as well as legends such as Mark Fish and Deshi Bhaktawer.
"We are resolute on our intention to create safe and clean city spaces that give people of all backgrounds something to be proud of. However, this requires all of us to coordinate efforts to eradicate lawlessness and disorder in our midst," Msimang said.