As Kariega’s community recreational facilities continue to face mounting challenges, the Drostdy Park Tennis Club (DPTC) in Magennis Park stands as a particularly concerning case study of municipal neglect and its devastating impact on local sports culture.
Located in what was once a popular venue for community events and photography, this facility represents the last remaining public tennis court in Kariega – the other two having succumbed to vandalism and neglect.
However, the DPTC now faces an even more serious threat: raw sewage flowing from the park area directly onto the court surface, creating significant health hazards for users and residents, particularly given its proximity to Park Centre Clinic, also located in Magennis Park.
Despite thousands of rands allegedly invested in facility repairs by club management, months of ongoing sewerage issues have rendered these efforts pointless, leaving tennis enthusiasts in Kariega without access to their sport and raising urgent questions about the municipality’s commitment to preserving the town’s recreational infrastructure.
Speaking to UD Express, the chairperson of the Drostdy Park Tennis Club, Charles Crause said, “We have a passion for tennis and this is the last court in Kariega. We moved in here 15 years ago and renovated the courts from our own pockets, with no support from the municipality, even though this is a municipal property.
“Our efforts to fix this park have been affected by vandalism too, with our fences and our lights being stolen. We have built a flat for a caretaker to live in, which somewhat helps deter thieves from breaking in. We have had support from our Ward Councillor, who comes with municipal officials to pump out the water and clean up, but within half an hour, the issue resurfaces, so it is a recurring issue.”
Crause added, “I don’t know what the cause of this is, because we often have raw faeces which is a health hazard. This means that our community cannot play due to the health risks. The stench is horrible as well, so even if they come to the further court, which is not entirely affected, they will be chased away by the foul smell from the sewage, which is not healthy to breathe.
“Just spraying the courts clean cost us R18 000, which we paid for, only for the issue to arise again. I don’t know what else to do, because we are struggling. The money that we had we spent, and the little we have is spent on our garden and clubhouse, making sure it doesn’t suffer as well. We don’t want to give up; we need all the support we can get. We are not asking for much, we just want the root cause fixed and hopefully clean the courts back to how they were before the damage.”
A Kariega tennis enthusiast, Vernon Niland said, “I am raising two boys who are tennis fanatics. This is the only facility they have to play tennis in Kariega. It’s disheartening to tell my sons that we cannot play owing to the condition of the courts. We don’t have a place to socialise, maintain and create new friendships now, because that is what tennis gave us. It shouldn’t be too difficult for our municipality to remedy this situation and save a place where so many families come together to unite our town.”
Another resident and tennis player, Sham-Oon Poovan, said, “I played tennis as a child after my father got me into the sport as he loves it too; having played at a national level. This court used to be the court we played on. The condition of the court has forced my father to now play in Gqeberha because our courts are bad and it is so sad, since it’s the only one we have now.
He added, “Tennis used to be so prominent, but I feel like everyone is slowly giving up hope, especially seeing the deterioration of Magennis Park next to us. It is no longer a pleasant experience playing at the courts anymore, with the condition they are in and the danger of the park, but we would love to preserve it, so that our future generations can enjoy what we did.”
NMBM spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said that a team was on-site attending to a sewer line blockage reporter earlier. “According to the superintendent overseeing the operation, preliminary work has revealed the presence of debris — such as stones and sticks — within the pipeline. This is contributing to the obstruction and requires urgent clearing before a full assessment can be made.” Soyaya said that the team was in the process of removing the debris in order to determine the root cause and source of the obstruction. “We appeal to residents to refrain from illegal dumping or disposing of foreign objects into our sewer and stormwater system. These actions cause obstructions, inconvenience to residents, and disruptions to municipal services,” Soyaya concluded.
