THE greater Johannesburg metropolitan council is selling Johanesburg’s athletics stadium as loan repayments drain council coffers. The council is paying R11m a year to service the R164m outstanding on a R87m loan that the council took out in 1995 to finance the building of the stadium. The aim was to use the stadium, situated next to Ellis Park Stadium in New Doornfontein, bordering Johannesburg’s central business district, as a showpiece for SA’s bid for the 2004 Olympics. With Athens winning the Olympic bid, the council is to sell the 38000 seat stadium, says sales project manager Phindi Nzimande. The sale is open to tender, with tender documentation available to bidders at R1000.