Windhoek
Contrary to reports that the City of Windhoek (CoW) has unilaterally endorsed an application for a lease agreement for the multi-purpose Khomasdal sports field – it has since come to the fore that information shared with some media houses was not factually fully packaged.
At the centre of the storm is the CoW decision to lease out the dilapidated overly utilized recreational facilities to retired footballer Collin ‘Collymore’ Benjamin over a period of thirty years for developmental purposes.
It was reported that Benjamin tabled a bid to take over the field in order to realize his longtime dream of building a football school.
The issue has stirred up mixed emotions, with prominent Khomasdal residents objecting to the lease of the premises with the understanding they would no longer enjoy affordable access to the field.
It has since emerged the deal was only applicable to the adjacent fields at the premises and not the entire stadium, which also houses netball courts, a cafeteria and cloakrooms.
Previously regarded as a semi-posh township specifically designed for coloureds, Basters and affluent blacks, Khomasdal boasts one sport field catering for track and field athletics, football, netball, a darts hall (cafeteria) and basketball courts for the entire community and schools in the area.
The easily assessable field holed up in central Windhoek, has been in a sorry state over the last couple of years to the extent that topflight football can no longer be played there.