On behalf of the Community and Social Development Services Department, I recently handed over soccer and netball poles to the community of Winterveld in the north of Tshwane. This forms part of our strategic efforts to nurture sport development in our communities.
The equipment comprises two sets of 7-a-side soccer poles and one set of netball poles and extra nets for future use. This was handed over to the representatives of the Winterveld Local Football Association, Winterveld Sports Council, Winterveld Netball Association and Winterveld Massacre Committee.
These representatives will jointly manage the equipment and ensure fair usage by the different soccer and netball clubs in the area. The request for the equipment was submitted during the commemoration of the Winterveld massacre, which took place in 1986 at City Rocks soccer field. This massacre saw scores of people killed.
Coordinators of the event comprising different stakeholders in Winterveld, namely the Winterveld Massacre Committee, football associations and other community structures, put in the request to support soccer and netball activities in the area.
The equipment will assist during practices and tournaments, which ultimately remove children from streets and away from negative influences, such as substance abuse and crime.
This initiative is one of many interventions that the City is driving to empower youth through sport development and participation. We trust that the equipment will add value towards sport advancement in Winterveld and help develop home-grown future sport stars.