PLANS are afoot for the City of Tshwane to secure at least R1.3 billion budget from the National Treasury with a view to bring back the iconic HM Pitje Stadium in Mamelodi to its former glory.
The metro is also expected to ask the Treasury for an amount of R270 million to finance the redevelopment of Odi Stadium in Mabopane township.
The latest developments regarding the future of the stadiums was made known by the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts and Culture this week during the interaction with a Parliamentary portfolio committee.
Over the years, the infrastructure of both historic sporting facilities were left in a dilapidated state partly due to lack of maintenance by authorities.
Department head Priscilla Masisi, who made a presentation before the portfolio committee, said the City had declared its intention to submit a funding proposal to the Treasury under the budget facility for infrastructure, which was meant to fund projects between R1bn and R3bn.
According to her, the current budget estimate for redevelopments of the HM Pitje and Odi would be R1.3bn and R270m, respectively.
Masisi said the department would be required to support the City's finance application from the Treasury through an endorsement letter.
HM Pitje was once earmarked as a training facility for teams participating in the 2010 Soccer World Cup, but that never materialised due to non-compliance with occupational safety regulations.
A project initiation report was commissioned in 2018 to assess the state of the stadium, and part of recommendations was that the facility must be condemned and demolished.
Masisi said the facility's structure had dangerous cracks and seating arrangements posed a safety risk to spectators.
She said in June 2019, the department had submitted a business case to the Treasury for the funding of the demolition work.
The proposed demolition, which has not yet taken place, was estimated at over R69 million.
"The business case was approved and R22m was allocated for 2019/20 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework of which R499 751 was paid for the assessment report," Masisi said.
The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development was appointed for the demolition of the stadium, and a budget estimate submitted by the department was approximately R87m, including Vat.
"The total cost will be finalised upon appointment of a contractor who will cost the project and propose a methodology for the demolition of the stadium," Masisi said.
It was anticipated that demotion work would start in September this year and be completed in October 2022.
Beyond the demolition, Masisi said there were plans to start phase one of the stadium redevelopment, by erecting a 30 000-seater PSL-standard stadium and 15 000 standing square-metre stadium with multipurpose sports facilities.
Regarding Odi Stadium, she said the facility would be demolished at an estimated cost of R120m depending on the availability of funding. The duration for demolition was expected to be 18 months.
The approximately 50 000-seater stadium was transferred to the Gauteng province in 2008 by the North West government, to be subsequently transferred to the City when the asset was already a liability.
Masisi said the ultimate plan was to rebuild the facility and convert it into a multipurpose sport and recreational park.
The redevelopment would include installing a newly grassed main field with floodlights, athletics tracks, security fencing and parking.
Both the existing multipurpose courts in the precinct and indoor centre would be upgraded.
There would be new construction of public ablution, changing rooms and a clubhouse.
Tshwane MMC for Social Development Thabisile Vilakazi said the projects would greatly assist the communities.
She said the redevelopment had dragged in the past; before the three spheres of government were not working together.
"This has been dragging on for quite some time and if we come together this is going to help the process to speed up," she said.
MEC Mbali Hlophe shared these sentiments, saying communities felt disadvantaged by the government due to lack of sporting infrastructure.
She believed that the projects would assist the communities to develop themselves and engage in activities that would improve their health.
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