Matatiele, Eastern Cape — The Matatiele Local Municipality has come under scrutiny this week after quietly handing over a R43 million sportsfield to the community without notifying the media or hosting a public ceremony.
According to a notice posted on the municipality’s official Facebook page, the official unveiling of the new sports facility — located next to the old rugby field on the route to Maluti — took place on Thursday, 24 October, at 08:30 a.m. The short 30-minute event went largely unnoticed by the public, prompting questions from residents about transparency and accountability.
Municipal Manager Lizo Matiwane dismissed claims that the handover was secretive, insisting that community members and the local ward councillor attended the event.
“We were there to hand over a stadium to the community. There were members of the community present, including the ward councillor,” Matiwane said.
When asked whether the municipality was satisfied with the completed facility, Matiwane confirmed that the project met all specifications.
“Everything was done according to the specifications, so we are happy with the product,” he added.
The sportsfield has been a controversial project since 2021, when Democratic Alliance (DA) councillors raised concerns about its cost and progress — a matter that made national headlines at the time. Initially budgeted at R29 million, the project later received an additional R15 million for Phase 2 in the following financial year.
Matiwane stated that the municipality currently has no plans for a third phase of the project.
While the new stadium is expected to benefit local sports development, the municipality’s low-profile approach to the handover has left many residents demanding greater openness and community involvement in future projects.
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