‘The sport clubs were there first, and the houses were built around it’
A Group of 218 residents have signed a petition calling on the City of Windhoek to intervene on “excessive noise” from music festivals and large entertainment events held in Pionierspark.
The residents say amplified music, public announcements and sound testing from events in the neighbourhood have disrupted their homes, schools and daily lives, with the latest complaint following the Soulection Music Festival held on 29 August.
Ramblers and Wanderers sport stadiums are located in Pionierspark.
However, former Wanderers event organiser Steven Berry, who spent six years there, says event organisers are required to obtain clearance from surrounding residents before an event can be approved by the City of Windhoek.
“If you want to organise an event, you need to get permission from the City of Windhoek.
They give you a form, and then it is your job as the event organiser to go to everyone in the neighbourhood for them to sign off and permit you,” he says.
He says that during his six years at Wanderers, he ensured that the required approvals were in place and that he did not receive complaints related to events he organised.
“From Wanderers’ side, we never had complaints,” Berry says.
Berry says there was, however, a broader challenge in balancing sporting and entertainment activities with the interests of residents who moved into areas surrounding established sports clubs.
“Wanderers was built when there were no houses there. The sports clubs were there first, and the houses were built around it,” he says.
He says organisers should, however, follow the required procedures to ensure that events do not become a source of conflict with surrounding residents.
“As long as you do your homework, then you shouldn’t get into trouble,” Berry says.
Nandi Jordaan, who started the petition, says residents were not opposed to legitimate sporting activities or ordinary business operations, but are concerned about the increasing use of venues in the residential area for large commercial entertainment events.
“While we support school and sporting activities and standard business operations, the transformation of these venues into commercial entertainment hubs, where the primary attraction is the broadcast and blaring of excessive loud music has become a significant disruption in our neighbourhood,” the petition states.
According to the residents, sound testing and broadcasts for the Soulection Music Festival began before 09h00 and continued until midnight.
The residents say the noise has invaded their homes and disrupted family routines, while also affecting children, elderly residents and schools in the area.
They have called on the city to impose stricter controls on amplified sound at venues located within residential areas.
They have also called for commercial music festivals and similar large-scale entertainment events to be held at venues specifically equipped to accommodate them, citing the Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, Sam Nujoma Stadium and WHS FNB Vegkop Stadium as examples.
The petition further calls for the City to review the permits issued for such events and ensure that zoning, environmental, noise-control, traffic and public-safety requirements are adhered to.
The residents’ concerns have been heightened by another planned event, the Balcony Mix Africa Namibia Edition, scheduled for 17 October at the Wanderers Sports Club in Pionierspark.
In a follow-up letter to the city dated 7 September, the residents said they had received no acknowledgement or response to their original complaint submitted on 29 August.
The residents say they would consider escalating the matter to municipal oversight structures, environmental authorities, the Ombudsman and other relevant bodies if they do not receive a response.
They say their intention was not to prevent legitimate activities but to find a balance between commercial and sporting operations and the rights of residents to a peaceful residential environment.
The City of Windhoek had not responded to the residents’ allegations at the time of publication.
