The GOOD Party calls on the City of Cape Town to honour its commitment to invest in the Belville Velodrome and Stadium.
It is no wonder the Bellville Velodrome is in a state of disrepair, the city appears to have forgotten that it owns the 3rd largest arena in South Africa.
That’s according to Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis’ written response to GOOD’s questions about the neglect at the facility.
Hill-Lewis details how the Velodrome was ‘sold by the City in 2009’ and how ‘steps were taken by the City in 2019 to cancel the sale’.
However, a simple deed search confirms that the property has been owned by the City since 1980. The widely publicised legal battle with Devmet Property Development group also details how the tender process for the 11.5 ha, R3 billion Galleria project included a 30-year lease agreement for the Velodrome, athletic stadium and the adjacent public parking area.
In 2009, the city boasted how it ‘will continue to use its land resources to stimulate socio-economic development’. But for 15 years the city has let this once a thriving world-class arena go to waste.
When the Velodrome ‘reverted’ to the city, R8.3 million was budgeted in 2023/24 to restore the white whale, with a further allocation of R17.5 million for 2024/25.
These amounts are far short of the R61 million upgrade the city had expected the developer to invest – the signed 2012 Lease agreement states ‘The Lessee shall develop the property…. upgrading the Velodrome: at a minimum cost of R44.55 million and the Stadium at a minimum cost of R17.24 million.’
But despite this already massive budget shortfall Hill-Lewis revealed only ‘R3.3million was spent on minor upgrades and improvements… The balance of the R8.3 million was reprioritised to other projects in the Recreation and Parks Department, including cemetery and community swimming pool upgrades’.
He also revealed that the R17.5 million for 2024/25 has also been reallocated whilst the city does feasibility and technical studies to decide the future of the facility.
The City believes that the cost to restore and manage the property is estimated at about R300 million. Despite a capital underspend of R1.9 billion for 2024, the city has no further plans to upgrade the facility.
The GOOD Party calls on Cape Town officials to be transparent about the future of this public facility.
And in the City’s own words, it needs to ‘use its land resources to stimulate socio-economic development.’
Media Enquiries:
Anton Louw, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
Cell: 082 377 3335
Email: anton@cisfs.co.za
Samantha Jackson, GOOD: Media Manager
Cell: 083 5509875
Email: samantha@forgood.org.za