A park in Section 3 of Gugulethu, which was meant to create a space for young people to enjoy themselves has caused endless frustration for the resident living opposite it.
Thanduxolo Magobolo, who has lived in the area for many years, was excited when the park was built.
However, his excitement took a backseat in 2018 as children playing soccer in the park started blasting the ball against his wall.
He said the children would kick the ball so hard that it bounced over the fence round the park and hit his wall. The ongoing impact of a ball being kicked against his house has caused cracks to his wall. Once, he told Vukani, a ball broke his window and he had to fork out to have it fixed.
Towards the end of 2018, he decided to take action and reported the matter at the municipal offices in Gugulethu. He suggested that the City erect a catch net behind the poles and the parts of the park that were closest to the houses.
However, he said, officials were reluctant to co-operate.
But he was not deterred and decided to take his complaint to officials at the Civic Centre in Cape Town. However, there he was told that there is no budget to erect catch nets. They also did not suggest alternative solutions.
“These officials told me that there is no budget but I don’t understand because that net does not cost a fortune.
“’I have tried to add another lay of bricks on top of this boundary wall and yet the ball still gets into my house.
“Some of these boys just jump over into my yard when they fetch their ball,” he said, adding that some of them don’t even ask for permission to do so.
“Some are rude and others have developed some hate towards me because they think I’m a selfish man when I refuse to give them their ball. I don’t know what to do now as I believe that I have tried as mush as possible to find a solution to this matter,” he said.
Mr Magobolo showed Vukani some reference numbers highlighting his struggle to get action from the City.
When Vukani asked the City what could be done to resolve Mr Magobolo’s problems, mayoral committee member for community services and health, Zahid Badroodien, said the Recreation and Parks Department was aware of the matter raised by residents and was seeking a solution to address their concerns.
The erection of a catch fence may be considered as a solution, he said, but this needed to be assessed and determined, and budget secured.