More than R12-million worth of damage to community facilities was recorded over the past three years due to vandalism and protest action in Cape Town.
The city’s mayoral committee member for community services and special projects‚ Alderman Belinda Walker‚ said on Monday that some sporting and recreational facilities had been vandalised to the point of being rendered unusable.
These included the Bardale Multipurpose Centre‚ OR Tambo Hall and Bloekombos Hall.
“It is shocking that our society has developed a culture of burning and destroying community property‚” she said.
“There is no excuse for such disrespectful behaviour and this is not the way people should choose to express their grievances – not forgetting the trauma caused to our employees who‚ in such instances‚ are threatened by these individuals‚”
The money‚ she said‚ could have been better spent on providing recreational facilities such as spray parks‚ smart parks or synthetic soccer pitches in communities where they were needed.
“We put a lot of thought into how to achieve a more equal‚ safe and caring city.
“Sport and other recreational activities form an important part of a health-based approach as they offer an alternative use of free time – a diversion for high-risk individuals from gangsterism and drugs‚” she said. – TMG Digital
‘Culture of destroying community property’ costs Cape Town R12m
More than R12-million worth of damage to community facilities was recorded over the past three years due to vandalism and protest action in Cape Town.
The city’s mayoral committee member for community services and special projects‚ Alderman Belinda Walker‚ said on Monday that some sporting and recreational facilities had been vandalised to the point of being rendered unusable.
These included the Bardale Multipurpose Centre‚ OR Tambo Hall and Bloekombos Hall.
“It is shocking that our society has developed a culture of burning and destroying community property‚” she said.
“There is no excuse for such disrespectful behaviour and this is not the way people should choose to express their grievances – not forgetting the trauma caused to our employees who‚ in such instances‚ are threatened by these individuals‚”
The money‚ she said‚ could have been better spent on providing recreational facilities such as spray parks‚ smart parks or synthetic soccer pitches in communities where they were needed.
“We put a lot of thought into how to achieve a more equal‚ safe and caring city.
“Sport and other recreational activities form an important part of a health-based approach as they offer an alternative use of free time – a diversion for high-risk individuals from gangsterism and drugs‚” she said. – TMG Digital
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