The construction of a multi-million rand sports complex in honour of the late South African 800-metre world champion and Olympic Silver medallist, Mbulaheni Mulaudzi, has been left incomplete.
The National Lottery Fund allocated over 15 million rand for the project at Muduluni village outside Louis Trichardt in Limpopo. Residents say the project was abandoned a year after construction started in 2019.
The non-profit organisation that is responsible for the construction says additional funds are required to complete the project.
The facility was meant to honour the memory of the Olympic champion but now it is just broken football posts with no lawn on the pitch and there is no stand.
The facility was supposed to provide various sporting codes for the youth of Muduluni and neighbouring villages.
Makonde Makhomisani who discovered Mulaudzi’s talent says they want accountability.
“We need the people who were supposed to do this to come forward and account, Mavu ( Sports Development), the municipality and there is a collaboration of corruption. Mulaudzi the world number one in 800 metres should be given an accolade of being world number one. The name I think has been dented and we cannot think that they will do something like this which they are saying they are honouring him. I think he is turning in his grave, you cannot just spend millions and millions and take it away. The community is waiting eagerly to see our kids succeeding.”
Takalani Maphaha, Mulaudzi’s family spokesperson says they are disappointed that their hard-working son’s name is linked to the shoddy work.
“We can’t say we know what is happening although we were part of the proceedings. The only thing that was left was for the completion of the project and the handing over. At this moment in time, I can say those things are not yet done. As a family, that has really disturbed us a lot. We were only proposed by people who say we are coming to do something, only to find out that thing is not yet completed.”
Non-Profit Organisation, Mavu Sports Development, received more than R15 million from the National Lotteries for the project.
One of the organisation’s directors and former South African Football Association President, Kirsten Nematandani, says no money was squandered. He says the project will resume as soon as they have sourced additional funds.
“We thought we would be able to mobilise other funders but it was difficult to get funders on board including bringing our own municipality. This is phase one of the facility, we are not going to abandon it, we have just run out of funds to build phase two”
The Makhado local municipality refused to comment on the matter.
