GOOD Statement by Anton Louw ,
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
3 December 2024
The GOOD Party is calling for transparency regarding the future of the Belville Velodrome and Stadium.
Although the City will tell the public that no decision has been made, the mayor confirmed via WhatsApp that the facility is being sold.
The City, without public participation (although it will eventually do so, to tick all the legal boxes), has already decided that it will sell the facility and claims it will upgrade other facilities with the money received from the sale.
GOOD believes the sale of the Velodrome and Stadium vs the upgrade of various other facilities is just a rouse to mislead the public.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis argues that the Bellville facility will cost R300-million to restore and the money is better utilised elsewhere.
However, when pressed for answers regarding the breakdown of costs, the mayor provided the following non-detailed breakdown:
- Electrical R25 mil
- New athletics track R30 mil
- Entrances R20 mil
- Roofing stadium R10 mil
- Roofing Velodrome R15 mil
- Access Roads R20 mil
- Parking R35 mil
- CCTV R10 mil
- Building works R25 mil
- Consultant 18% of total project
- Bulk infrastructure TBC
- Total R300 mil
But by our calculation, the numbers don’t add up to R300 million, and what Bulk infrastructure is required when the facility has functioned using existing bulk infrastructure?
We also question why access roads, which are not in poor condition, form part of the restoration of the facility.
And according to stakeholders, the parking has never been an issue and remains in good condition, not needing R35 million.
As GOOD we will continue to propose a phased approach to restoration.
Get it functional and then upgrade over time.
We are also concerned that there is no guarantee that any money received from the sale of the velodrome will be used to upgrade other facilities.
The City has not maintained various sporting facilities in the past 15 years and we believe it has no intention to do so in the future.
The City plans to spend R73 million on the Jan Burger (Parow Athletics) facility and a further R6 million to upgrade the Vygieskraal cycling track.
However the Belville Velodrome and Stadium already has all the facilities that they plan to add to the Jan Burger facility and the Vygieskraal cycling track is an outdoor track that does not comply with Olympic standards.
When visiting Vygieskraal, it was locked up with no access and the signs next to the road warned motorists it was a high smash and crab hot spot.
And whilst this process continues, there is still no solution for the communities that rely on the Belville Velodrome and Stadium and have nowhere to go.
Just in the past month, Western Province athletics had to cancel two events due to the fact that no Sasrea compliant facilities were available.
MMC James Vos will publicly brag about the Green Point stadium being the only Sasrea compliant track.
That is true, because the city neglected to maintain facilities like the Bellville Velodrome and stadium.
We call on the City of Cape Town to honour its commitment to invest in the Belville Velodrome and Stadium.
Media Enquiries: media@forgood.org.za