Football clubs at Tsumeb have condemned a sharp stadium tariff increase amid ongoing neglect of facilities and poor municipal engagement.
The Tsumeb municipality has increased the fee for Oscar Norich Stadium from N$300 per day to N$4 600, which has that left the ‘Copper Town’ football fraternity in a state of disbelief.
A total of 15 football clubs’ chairpersons have signed a letter dated 21 July, addressed to Tsumeb Municipality chief executive Frans Enkali.
The letter is titled ‘Concerns Regarding the State and Tariff Hike of Oscar Norich Stadium’.
Speaking to Desert FM this week, Chief Santos FC chairperson Lilo Heita said the municipality’s response on the matter is “unbelievable and discouraging”.
“Tsumeb used to be the hotspot for sport codes such as football and rugby, but if you look around the town today, there is no adequate sport facility.
“We have a growing community, but the facility does not match the needs of the people. You pay to use the stadium, but the services you get are not forthcoming,” Heita said.
“We complain about the perimeters around the stadium that are deteriorating and the response you get is ‘there is no money’.
‘NO PROGRESS’
“But for the past four to five years there has been no progress. We have individually tried as different clubs to approach the municipality, but without success, and that led to us resorting to this action.”
Heita said the chairpersons have had meetings with municipality officials which have produced “nothing tangible”.
“We had an incident a few years ago, where there was an electrical malfunction at the stadium and children were electrocuted because it was not safe to drink water at the stadium.”
The Chief Santos FC boss said various letters have been written and meetings held, but “their responses were simply negative”.
“Up to a point where a councillor said he knows his job and we should not tell him how to do his work.”
Heita said Oscar Norich Stadium is freely accessible to the community, and the town other stadium, JB Rugby Stadium, has recently been damaged by strong winds.
He said JB Rugby Stadium is still municipality property but is managed by Etosha Secondary School.
Echoing Heita’s sentiments, Chicco FA founder Abiator Karno and vice chairperson of the Namibia Football Association (NFA) regional third division said the town is suffering in terms of sport development due to a lack of proper facilities.
“When it comes to the hiked tariffs, we can really not afford to let a Namibian child to play enough and to adapt to the grass. I also remember that before independence that field was in superb condition.
He said the municipality’s notice says the increase includes a deposit of N$2 000, which is returned after events.
“The N$2 600 is for the municipality, but when looking at the current state of the stadium it is so discouraging. The maintenance is poor, but security companies are provided to take care of the stadium.”
“Things are broken and get stolen. What are we paying the security company for?” Karno asked.
Benfica FC chairperson Tuhafeni Shalyolute said the town does not have a single premier league outfit because of the poor condition the stadiums are in.
“No team at Tsumeb except Chief Santos FC has a sponsor.”
Shalyolute said the increment is apparently for the upgrading of the stadium, “but I am not seeing any upgrade taking place”.
Karno said the town’s football clubs have tried establishing academies, but lacked the municipality’s support.
“You will go and plead with them to debush an area since they have the equipment, but they don’t pitch.”
The letter signed by the clubs reads: “It is disheartening that despite our commitment to promoting sport and community values we are faced with the following long-standing and unresolved issues, such as floodlights being non-functional since 2018, perimeter fencing being broken and neglected, corner flags and goal nets being substandard, and hot water geysers being out of order.”
The letter also indicates unhygienic and neglected ablution facilities, with no provision of toilet paper and other essentials.
Questions sent to the office of the municipality’s chief executive were not answered by the time of going to print.
