A fence separates the park from the well-kept Jubilee Cemetery.

The Herald visited the park after receiving numerous complaints from sports people.

The playing fields, including the cricket pitch, are overgrown with weeds, the tennis courts are cracked, and the cricket nets are damaged.

The poor state of the ground has, according to sportsmen, resulted in some tennis, netball and cricket clubs having no place to practise or play.

The Herald found four workers at the ground who said they had been hired by a company to renovate only the change-rooms.

One of the workers, Thando Mqokozo, said they did not know the name of the company.

"We were picked up by a woman driving a bakkie and she offered us this job," he said.

Meanwhile, Uitenhage sportsmen say they are disheartened, angry and shocked by the poor state of the once-prestigious park.

DA councillor Xolisile Klaas said Jubilee Park was of great concern to all as the youth lacked entertainment facilities in Uitenhage.

"This has driven the youth to patronise taverns or wander aimlessly about the town. There is also no cinema.

"The sports fields at the park are a disgrace. The tennis courts, the netball field and the cricket pitch are overgrown with grass. They are in a poor state of repair," he said.

Kenneth Kohl, chairman of the Gamerose Cricket Club, said that for the past five years the club had not been able to use the park because of its shocking condition.

"We have a pitch and cricket nets which we cannot use. I wrote a letter to the municipality last year about the park and I am still waiting for a reply.

"Sport in general in Uitenhage is falling apart."

Kohl said if the park had been well looked after it could possibly have been selected for practice by one of the countries coming to the soccer World Cup in 2010, as well to coach local players.

"This would have had an economic spin-off for the town, with many visitors coming here."

Kohl said he had often played in the park as a schoolboy

Renah Abrahams, who is involved with volleyball, tennis and netball, said these sports had disappeared because of a lack of playing fields.

"Lack of funding has also hit them because we have to pay per hour for using a recreation hall.

"There is a great deal of potential talent here, but it is now going to waste." Abrahams said the park needed massive upgrading.

Municipal spokesman Lourens Schoeman said he had referred the matter to metro culture and recreation business unit manager Mbulelo Gidana for attention.

The Herald
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge