Games go on while sports facilities lie in ruins

The vandalised clubhouse at the United Cricket Club field in Buffalo Flats is the latest example of a pattern of decay and destruction that has plaguedBuffalo City Metro’s public facilitiesfor years. More than 200 primary school pupils competed at the field last week as part of sub-district inter-schools athletics competitions, despite the clubhouse — situated near the police station — standing in ruins afteryears of vandalism and theft. The playing surface remains in use.

The infrastructure around it does not. A concerned parent said about 200 pupils participated on the day, while 227 schools were taking part in the broader sub-district competitions. He claimed all the pupils had to share a single toilet.

“It was heartbreaking to witness. The facilities were not safe,” he said. He said the facility had been vandalised and the department had been expected to provide additional mobile toilets but did not do so.

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“The games started late, because they [the education department] had to first prepare the fields by marking tracks, which they did not do properly. “Teachers had to ask community members for resources such as chalk and paint to finish up marking the fields,” he said. A teacher from St Johns Primary School said the condition of facilities at the Buffalo Flats grounds had been an ongoing issue.

“The government is failing our children, as this is a problem that is happening annually. We do not have any safe facilities in East London. Jan Smuts Stadium was our only hope, but now it is gone.” The teacher said the athletics event itself was successful, but the condition of the facilities remained a concern.

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