Outraged team officials, coaches and upset parents marched hundreds of athletes, who arrived in East London at the weekend for the SA Games, out of arranged accommodation facilities, describing them as ”unacceptable”.
They argued that some of the pre-booked guest houses were still being renovated and did not have sufficient rooms, toilet or even blankets. In some hotels, as many as six athletes were booked and crammed into a double room — and some athletes did not even have arranged accommodation to settle into.
The officials and coaches on Sunday described the situation as ”absolute chaos”. Some athletes from Gauteng, who had arrived on Saturday, were apparently forced to sleep without any blankets at Buffalo City Lodge.
One teenage rugby player explained how he had to use his own towel to cover his body to ward off the cold. They complained that they were also worried about the safety of their belongings, arguing that there were no facilities to lock their bags away.
”Buffalo City Lodge wants to accommodate 200 people but they are still manufacturing the beds to be put in and still building the toilets,” said furious parent Awie van Coller.
”Nobody’s telling us anything.”
According to the Dispatch newspaper six bunk beds were found squeezed into one room, effectively meaning 12 boys would be cooped up in the tiny space.
The team officials complained that there were only four or five toilets for 200 people and a tiny kitchen. There was dust all over the place as a result of barely completed renovations and some beds were still outside in the yard.
According to Van Coller, the SA Games organisers had promised the Gauteng team hotel rooms, but were instead allocated these crammed and unacceptable rooms.
Buti Baloyi, Gauteng Sports, Arts and Culture deputy director, who has accompanied the Gauteng team, said he was disappointed.
Van Coller confirmed that parents had paid R1 000 for each child and the government had coughed up the rest of the money.
Some of Gauteng team officials and coaches, who cannot be named according to a code of conduct barring players and coaches from speaking to the media, were worried about where the athletes would spend the week.
”We can’t stay in a place like this. It’s not good for the athletes,” said the Gauteng rugby coach, ”This is really bad.”
But MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture spokesperson Masiza Mazizi urged the public to ”be mindful of the fact that in any big event there will be problems”.
He added that the Local Organising Committee, together with the accommodation subcommittee, is busy sorting out the matter. However, almost six hours later on Sunday, there were still busses and children milling about near the Kennaway Hotel parking lot.
”Temporary accommodation must be found tonight for some of the athletes,” said Mazizi. ”Hopefully by tomorrow there should be no more problems . but for tonight athletes may have to sleep with their parents, at their own cost.”
But by 7pm, children were still stranded outside in the dark.
An anxious sounding Mazizi said that the organising committees could be forced to accommodate the children in Cintsa, more than 30-kilometres outside the city here.
A furious Gauteng hockey coach said he wished the Sports Minister, Ngconde Balfour was here to witness ”what we have to put up with”.
The cricket coach described how his 200 players had been on the train for almost 24 hours before arriving to find that no proper accommodation had been arranged.
”The boys are demotivated,” he said.
Some irate parents threatened to withdraw their children from the week-long event.
”I just want to go home,” said a 17-year-old rugby player, summing up the mood of the fed-up, tired and hungry contingent.
Jan Smit, a resident here, said: ”These kids are absolutely desperate. This is very embarrassing for our city.”
He related how he seen the children wandering about and stopped to offer assistance.
He even said that some teams were so desperate for accommodation they were considering approaching the Prison Department and asking if they could sleep there. – Sapa