Will upgraded Limpopo village sports complex be another white elephant?
· Citizen
The Mayor of Greater Tzaneen has handed over a sports complex in the far-flung Joppie Village, despite media reports that most such facilities remain “white elephants” long after completion, miss deadlines, or are left abandoned by contractors.
In Limpopo alone, more than R200 million has been sunk into at least eight stadium projects that were never finished or fell into ruin, reflecting a broader crisis of fruitless and wasteful municipal spending.
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Among those previously reported as abandoned, unused after completion, or incomplete for years is the Makhuvha Sports Complex in the Vhembe District Municipality, which cost R22 million to build in 2012 and comprises a soccer field, stadium, and two swimming pools. It was never used and has since decayed into an overgrown, vandalised ruin.
The Tshivhuyuni Sports Facility in Makhado Local Municipality cost R21 million to build, with R10.7 million paid out, but it stalled at 52% completion after the contract was terminated.
Main causes of municipal sports infrastructure failures include contractor abandonment and shoddy workmanship.
New sports centre
Despite this history, Mayor Odas Ngobeni continued to hand over the project to a jubilant Joppie community on Tuesday.
The facility underwent a major transformation valued at approximately R5.5 million.
The upgraded infrastructure includes modernised facilities designed to accommodate multiple sporting codes, including rugby and soccer fields, as well as refurbished tennis, basketball, and netball courts.
The official handover was celebrated alongside a community outreach programme, during which Mayor Ngobeni also visited Mavabaza Primary School to donate school shoes, uniforms, and soccer balls to 568 pupils.
Speaking during the handover, Ngobeni said the complex does not only belong to young talents and athletes but to everyone, including adults.
“There are lifestyle diseases that are killing people, such as stress. Our parents can also use this facility to jog, train, and relieve stress and other health risks.
“We have diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and anxiety and depression. If we use this facility with the respect it deserves, we can all live happily and healthily,” he said.
Ngobeni pleaded with community members to take care of the facility and guard against any form of vandalism.
Nkatsko Shilubane, a Grade 12 pupils at Tiakeni Secondary School in Joppy Village, near Nwamitwa in the Letsitele area, hailed Ngobeni as a “messiah”.
“He was born and bred here. He grew up with our uncles and did his primary education right here. From his humble beginnings, you could tell there is more to this man than meets the eye,” Shilubane said
Khepekana Mpho Rakgolela, who now works in Polokwane, described the mayor as a down-to-earth son of the soil.
“Poverty, underdevelopment, skills shortage, crime and boredom have always been the order of the day here in Joppie. Children often indulged in drugs because there were no sporting facilities, and teenage boys and girls often practised unsafe sex because there was nothing to keep them busy.
“This community will be a haven for sporting activities,” said Rakgolela.
Money allocated
In his 2026-27 annual budget, Mayor Ngobeni allocated capital funding for community halls, high-mast lights, and sports infrastructure.
His administration has continued to open and inspect local sports and community projects in and around Tzaneen.
He announced a R289 million capital projects budget for the 2026/27 financial year, which includes R113 million from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG).
The municipality has advanced and launched facilities such as the Joppie Sports Centre and has conducted oversight visits to venues like Julesburg Stadium and Leretjeni Sports Centre.