City of Mangaung says it has fixed the stadium to host ANC’s 111th birthday celebration on Sunday

Bloemfontein - The City of Mangaung (Bloemfontein) in the Free State says it has fixed all the issues at Dr Molemela stadium and the venue is now suitable to host the ANC’s 111th birthday celebration on Sunday.

The doubt over the suitability of the stadium was sparked by a letter written on December 21, 2022 to the ANC, saying the stadium was not in a good condition.The letter asked the ANC to consider applying to use the Free State rugby stadium (also in Bloemfontein).

Among the issues raised with the stadium were that it has no running water, its toilets have been vandalised, its lifts are not working, it has no fire and safety certificate and its VIP rooms are in ruins.

Prodded by IOL over the matter, Qondile Khedama, the spokesperson for the city said work has been done to ensure that the stadium is suitable for use on the big day for the ANC.‘Following reports about the state of the stadium to host the event, the City would like to put it on record that the concern is misplaced.

“Work has been ongoing to ensure that the issues that were raised are attended to.

“It is important to note that the stadium was initially the home ground of Bloemfontein Celtics, which played a role in the maintenance of the facility.“As soon as Celtics was sold and relocated, the stadium was open to use by members of the public for recreational activities,” he said.

Khedama said all the issues raised before have since been fixed.

“As a result, there are certain areas that needed the City’s attention, which have since been attended to.“The grading certificate has been issued.

“We can confirm that there are water connections, and ablution facilities are ready to accommodate the number of people expected, among other matters.

“The City is working together with representatives of the political party to ensure that the community of Mangaung is not inconvenienced by the weekend’s activities,” Khedama told IOL.Meanwhile, Bloemfontein is already a hive of activities and reports suggest that all major hotels are now fully booked.

On Wednesday the ANC Women’s League will kick off its activities by having a street carnival along Charlotte Maxeke Street in central Bloemfontein.