The four stadiums in question were built with the budget of the provincial Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation.

The departmental spokesperson, Tankiso Zola, explained in a written response that the department was only responsible for the implementation of the four stadiums, namely the Dr Rantlai Petrus Molemela Stadium; the Fezile Dabi Stadium, the Sipho Mutsi Stadium, and the Charles Mopeli Stadium. However, maintenance lays within the responsibility of municipalities the stadiums fall under.

Charles Mopeli Stadium

The other stadium that was upgraded was the Charles Mopeli Stadium in Qwaqwa, at a cost of R36 220 494. On behalf of the responsible municipality, the Maluti-A-Phofung's spokesperson, Thabo Kessah, stated that the municipality has a budget of R1 400 000 per year for the maintenance of facilities. He also stated that the stadium gets utilised weekly except when under maintenance like the last week of June and first two weeks of July, for top-dressing. When asked which other stadiums the municipality has spent money on, he replied:

• The Phuthaditjhaba Stadium was upgraded for R27 million;

• the Charles Mopeli Stadium was upgraded for R12 million, as per recommendation by the Professional Soccer League (PSL) around 2016/17;

• the Intabazwe Stadium was newly built for R27 million; and

• the Bluegumbosch Stadium was upgraded for R10 million.

DA Leader in the province, Roy Jankielsohn, has expressed that the more these stadiums are not utilised, the more money will be needed to repair them. “The stadiums were built to make our communities better, now the municipalities that are responsible for them are failing to maintain them and in some instances, they ask communities to pay in order to make use of them.”  

WRAP - #EXCLUSIVE: Over half a billion rand spent on four Free State stadiums

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