Community puts a stop to construction on sports field
by Vusi Xaba
2016-07-14 20:34:10.0
A GOVERNMENT housing project in Orlando East‚ Soweto‚ has been put on hold after a revolt by the community.
Disgruntled members of the community told their ward councillor Sechaba Khumalo that they would not allow flats to be built on the old sports grounds.
They said there were no longer sporting facilities in the area‚ so they could not allow authorities to destroy the remaining one.
The grounds‚ along Mooki Street‚ which is part of the June 16 Trail‚ is a historical sporting facility where soccer legends the Sono family — Jomo‚ Julius and their father Eric — started their football careers.
Julius Sono said: "This is embarrassing. Are they taking youth out of sport to go smoke nyaope? They (politicians) are not developing people like myself‚ my brother Jomo and our father Eric Scara Sono. This is a violation of youth rights".
Community leader Perry Mpanza said: "We are not saying we don’t want development‚ but it must be done in the right way. They must involve the community through public consultation processes. This project must stop and allow negotiations to take place."
After a short meeting with the community‚ Khumalo assured them that the construction on the site would be halted until a stakeholder meeting which would involve the community‚ was held on Friday.
TMG Digital
Picture: THINKSTOCK
A GOVERNMENT housing project in Orlando East‚ Soweto‚ has been put on hold after a revolt by the community.
Disgruntled members of the community told their ward councillor Sechaba Khumalo that they would not allow flats to be built on the old sports grounds.
They said there were no longer sporting facilities in the area‚ so they could not allow authorities to destroy the remaining one.
The grounds‚ along Mooki Street‚ which is part of the June 16 Trail‚ is a historical sporting facility where soccer legends the Sono family — Jomo‚ Julius and their father Eric — started their football careers.
Julius Sono said: "This is embarrassing. Are they taking youth out of sport to go smoke nyaope? They (politicians) are not developing people like myself‚ my brother Jomo and our father Eric Scara Sono. This is a violation of youth rights".
Community leader Perry Mpanza said: "We are not saying we don’t want development‚ but it must be done in the right way. They must involve the community through public consultation processes. This project must stop and allow negotiations to take place."
After a short meeting with the community‚ Khumalo assured them that the construction on the site would be halted until a stakeholder meeting which would involve the community‚ was held on Friday.
TMG Digital
