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Concerns over Dbn 2010 stadium
13/07/2006 20:44 - (SA)
Durban - Opposition parties have raised fears over the funding and maintenance of Durban's new R1.6bn stadium after the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
The King Senzangakhona Stadium's R1.6bn price tag would be split between the national government, the provincial government and the eThekwini municipality. This split was still being negotiated.
"The split is what we are worried about," said KwaZulu-Natal's Democratic Alliance leader Roger Burrows.
Unveiled last month, the stadium was touted to become Durban's iconic landmark, with a 30-storey arch stretching its entire length.
Inkatha Freedom Party caucus leader for eThekwini Thembi Nzuza, said she had not seen any research about the feasibility or viability of the stadium, which will be situated next to Absa Stadium.
"We are worried about it becoming a white elephant. We want to see how it is going to be maintained."
She had concerns that the city would have to pay for the upkeep of the stadium and made reference to the city's ambitious but struggling uShaka Marine Theme Park.
The city last year agreed to a R174.6m loan and last month the municipality's Executive Committee (Exco) approved a further R39.3m for the theme park.
The DA's John Steenhuizen, the party's sole representative on the Exco said: "It's more about what is not being said than what is about this stadium." Feasibility study
He said he was concerned about not having seen a feasibility study or how the stadium was going to be maintained after 2010.
"Look at uShaka. We are having to bail them out to the tune of R40m a year. It's actually ratepayers' money going into this," said Steenhuizen.
Burrows said: "There is the suggestion that there be some legislation creating a private company [to own the stadium]".
However, head of the KwaZulu-Natal Treasury Sipho Shabalala said creating a private company owned by both the province and the city was an "early thought".
A decision to form a company owned by the province and the municipality would have to fit in with laws governing municipal and provincial administrations.
It would still be "a few months" before either the provincial administration or the eThekwini municipality would know how much would come out of their respective coffers. The amount would depend on the national government's allocation.
"The private sector will also be a significant player with [corporate] suites."
He said the decision not to make the Absa Stadium Fifa compliant as a world cup venue was based on cost. It would have cost about half as much as a new stadium.
"So we decided let's build an iconic facility that is multi-purpose."
- SAPA
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