The Sanddrift Sports Facility will now be put to good use after being abandoned and vandalised for years.
On Friday (5 August) Noorder Paarl High School signed a User Agreement with the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) so that the school can make use of the Sanddrift Sports Facility.
According to the Minister of DPWI, Patricia de Lille, her department was approached by Noorder Paarl High School principal Natalie Arendse and community members earlier this year to find out how the facility is being utilised at the moment. Since the school is in need of sporting facilities, they asked the department permission to make use of Sanddrift.
“The Noorder Paarl High School, which is a no-fee school with more than 1 000 pupils, has been in dire need of proper sporting facilities for many years. The school contacted the department to enquire about the use of the field and following the finalisation of various due processes within the department, we are delighted that we were able to sign a user agreement with the school on Friday 5 August,” De Lille said in a statement.
The facility, which is adjacent to the school, has been vacant for a few years now and has become a problem for residents in the area. When Paarl Post reported on the Sanddrift facility in 2018 Drakenstein Municipality said they had filed a court application to demolish the facility. The municipality also previously described the facility as “dilapidated” and “unsafe” and said the court application “follows numerous complaints by residents about the state of the stadium and the dangerous conditions it encourages by attracting criminal elements and unsavoury characters into the neighbourhood”.
But the sports facility will soon be restored to its former glory – a place where many sporting events took place and once more will.
De Lille added: “The department’s responsibilities include to monitor the agreement to ensure that operational efficiency of the building is maintained and the user complies with terms and conditions of the agreement. The department has committed to do renovations to bring the facilities up to standard.”
The agreement between the school and the department was also welcomed by the school’s governing body. Learners of Noorder Paarl High School will soon enjoy participating in various sporting codes at the Sanddrift facility.
Principal Arendse says their school community is delighted by the signing of the agreement. “It has been a journey of approximately two years so you can imagine our joy, appreciation and gratitude has no boundaries. As teachers we know the value of sports in the lives of our learners, other than honing of skills, it teaches values like discipline and respect; it builds self-esteem and even opens doors to careers.
“The user agreement is also a historic event for the broader community of Paarl. I also wish to thank all roleplayers in making the ‘Impossible Dream’ come true, especially Minister Patricia de Lille, Ernest Johannes, coach Peter de Villiers and our school governing bodies.”
Arendse further added: “During Apartheid, the coloured community was forcefully removed from Noorder-Paarl. So, to be granted sole use of these grounds is ‘like a coming home, where it belongs’.” She called upon the Paarl community and alumni to assist the school in generating funds to maintain the facilities.
- Contact the school on 021 872 7016.
