Bureaucracy to blame for white elephant

WITH dilapidation and disrepair having already set in at what was touted as a ‘world-class’ facility, Swakopmund’s N$22 million sport stadium is fast becoming a very costly white elephant.

And the deteriorating condition of the stadium, ‘completed’ in 2007, is being blamed on bureaucracy around the erection of a fence.’Before we can take it over from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, it first has to have a proper fence around to protect the tartan track,’ said Swakopmund municipal spokesperson Annelize Swart.The Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture is responsible for the erection of the fence at the stadium, but according to the Ministry’s Director of Sport, Dr Vetumbuavi Veii, money for the fence hasn’t been allocated yet.’We have the money, but because of Government procedures, the matter was stalled,’ Veii said.He said a tender was put out last year for the erection of the fence, but the tender board withdrew it.’We budgeted for it in the 2007/2008 budget, but I don’t know why the tender board withdrew it. These are Government procedures and we can do nothing about it,’ he said.Veii was optimistic, however, that there will be progress this year. ‘I know the people are getting frustrated, and we’re equally frustrated by the project and the procedures, but we are confident that we’ll be able to make some progress in due course,’ Veii said.Leon Boye of WML Consulting Engineers, which is involved in the project, said the erection of the fence will cost N$1,8 million.In the meantime, the tartan track is disintegrating, walls are cracked, fields are overgrown with weeds and thorns, poles are rusting and barriers have been stolen. The 1 500-seat stand has never been used and locker rooms and offices are musty. adam@namibian.com.na