Blame game over crumbling Sam Nujoma Stadium

THE Ministry of Youth, Sport and National Services and the Windhoek municipality have been citing inadequate funds and a lack of governmental support as key reasons for the poor state of stadiums in Namibia.

The sorry state of sport facilities, especially of the Sam Nujoma Stadium, is one of the reasons why Namibia has been banned from hosting regional and international football matches locally.

In April this year the Confederation of African Football (CAF) slapped the Namibia Football Association (NFA) with a fine of N$85 000 for using the dilapidated Sam Nujoma Stadium to host an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier match.

This stadium and many others in the country have since been declared substandard and no longer fit for hosting international games.

The sport ministry has over the years been criticised for failing to prioritise the development and maintenance of sport facilities in the country.

Last week, a director in the sport ministry, Jo-Ann Manuel, blamed the situation on a lack of adequate funding.

Speaking during a heated debate on The Namibian’s current affairs programme, ‘The Conversation’, Manuel said the ministry has not received any meaningful budgetary allocation for the development of sport over the years.

“The notion that we are not doing anything is not a true reflection of the situation on the ground . . . At the end of the day the budget is passed in parliament. Stakeholders are just too many, making the process cumbersome,” Manuel said.

She said CAF’s specifications are a true reflection of what is happening on the ground, but cautioned it could get worse for Namibia if the problem is not solved soon.

“Do we have the money? We do not get money from manna, like other people did in Egypt. We have to go to parliament and the finance ministry, which passes the budget. We have not gotten a budget that is responsive to our needs in years. If it was responsive, we would not be in this position,” she said.

“The problem with sport in this country is not the administration, it is not the players either. It is with those who have the keys to the budgets of this country.”

Manuel said the government’s priorities seem to be in disarray.

According to her, the “budget ceiling excuse” normally given by the Ministry of Finance finance was also a problem hindering sport development in the country.

“You will go to them and tell them you need a budget of N$7 million, but then they will tell you there is a ceiling. The budget system of this country is unresponsive to the community and needs to change. As administrators, we want to do the work, but we need to be capacitated,” she said.

The City of Windhoek’s manager of parks, sports, recreation and cemeteries, Uakazuvaja Kazombiaze, said the municipality has also been struggling to secure funds for sport development over the years.

He, however, said the situation of the Sam Nujoma Stadium is unique since it is the only big stadium in the city that is used for “all events” – from most Namibian Premier League (NPL) matches to political rallies and other non-sport-related activities.

The over-utilisation of the stadium, Kazombiaze said, means it is not afforded enough breathing space, which decreases the lifespan of the artificial turf.

The artificial astro turf, the mat on the pitch, has a lifespan of about seven years.

“The Sam Nujoma Stadium has never received the periodic rest it deserves. It has also been used for other recreational events. The lifespan of scientific turf is also dependent on the utilisation thereof. It determines whether the turf can stay longer or must be removed earlier. We have taken a stand that should we repair and install the (turf), the stadium will only be used for national or premier-league matches,” he said.

To replace the turf at the Sam Nujoma Stadium, Kazombiaze said the municipality would need at least N$12 million.

This is because the product that was installed in 2005 is no longer on the market, he said.

“The product on the market, approved by Fifa, has legislated standards relevant to current situations in soccer across the globe, and is therefore more expensive than what we bought in 2005.

“These budgets were motivated, but maybe because of the local authority challenges in every aspect, sport was not prioritised, but since the 2016/17 budget, we kept on budgeting for the Sam Nujoma Stadium for upgrading of the artificial turf,” he said.

Kazombiaze said the sport ministry must also develop and upgrade stadiums at other local authorities to ease the burden on the Sam Nujoma Stadium.

“Why must all games be played in Windhoek? The municipalities and local authorities must also motivate the ministry to come up with international sport stadiums. Stars are not only born in Windhoek,” he said.

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