MAHIKENG MAIL - MAHIKENG: Successful engagement between the National Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and North West Arts, Cultures and Sports Recreation will pave the way to the revitalisation and refurbishment of Mmabana Arts, Culture and Sports Centre and Mmabatho Stadium.
Finally, after a long wait, the Sports Minister, together with his Deputy, visited Mahikeng to conduct an oversight visit, as well as to engage the department on plans to resuscitate two historical buildings in an effort to promote and develop sports in the province.
Mmabatho Stadium, known for its unique look and capacity of hosting 59 000 fans, was previously barred from hosting games due to safety concerns, while Mmabana was vandalised and burnt during the ‘Supra Must Fall’ protests in 2018.
As a result, few activities have taken place at the two venues as the department had to acquire resources to restore parts of Mmabana that was destroyed and repairing the football pitch of Mmabatho stadium.
During their oversight visit, Minister Gayton McKenzie and Deputy Minister Peace Mabe said they had to fix Mmabana and Mabatho Stadium, saying the buildings needed a total revitalisation as the infrastructure was old and needed to be replaced.
“Me and Deputy Minister Mabe said in our first hundred days of office, that we must fix Mmabana and Mmabatho Stadium and we are here today to keep that promise. We have already made money available for work to start, but we have realised that much more is needed and that is why we are here.
“We can’t have such jewels go to waste. The GNU is a different government, we are fixing things, Hare bue fela. We have not allocated money for the Stadium, but we have allocated R13 million for Mmabana.
“We realised the money is not enough for what needs to be done. No matter what happens these things must open,” said McKenzie.
The MEC of the Department of Arts, Culture and Sports Recreation, Virginia Tlhapi, said she was delighted with the outcome of the engagement and that the national department shared her hope of restoring Mmabana and Mmabatho Stadium.
