The City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department stood up to the ongoing challenge in restoring sports fields that suffered during the drought to acceptable levels of operation.​

Many of the City’s sports fields are transforming into the green spaces of old, thanks to significant improvement in rainfall and a stringent management system introduced at the height of the drought in 2017.

It was a trying time for all concerned, particularly because of the impact on the thousands of enthusiasts who participate in the many sporting codes, both on and off the field, each season. We were certainly up against it, but thanks to the efforts of the Recreation and Parks Department, the many sporting associations and a little help from mother nature, things are looking up. Sport is one of the many unifiers in our communities, and I am thrilled at the prospect of being able to grant full access to our facilities once more, for the benefit of communities,’ said Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato.

The stringent triage system that the Recreation and Parks Department used, listed a set of criteria to determine whether fields were usable, useable for limited periods only, or completely off-limits. The result was severely curtailed usage in some areas and even the shortening of sporting code seasons.
 
The Department also started introducing alternative water sources like boreholes, well-points and jojo tanks at facilities where these options were feasible as a means to circumvent the prohibition on the use of potable water for irrigation purposes. There was also greater emphasis on the use of existing, and further rollout of synthetic pitches.

The increased rainfall in the winter of 2018, followed by more sustained and good rainfall in the current season, has served to further improve the condition of playing fields.

We have come a long way and we are immensely grateful for the good rainfall thus far. However, we are mindful that we live in a water-stressed region that requires a new normal, with ongoing water restrictions. The City will continue doing everything possible to maintain recreational facilities such as our sports fields. These facilities play an important role - as we all know sport is a wonderful activity that brings people together,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

Two years ago, from a sample of 92 sports fields, 22 were rendered completely unusable, 37 were judged to be useable for a maximum of four hours per week, 20 could be used for up to six hours a week, and 13 were judged to be useable for eight hours a week.​​

Today, on average, 62 percent of all the fields are usable with area north showing the best results. Of the 143 sports fields in the area, 123 are usable.

It should be noted that the rehabilitation of grass could take several seasons, particularly on fields that were worst affected during the drought, as the City still limits usage under current water restrictions, which impacts irrigation schedules.

The Recreation and Parks Department will ensure that ongoing assistance is given in the maintenance and rehabilitation of fields that are recovering. The department spends an average of R13 million on the repairs and maintenance of sports fields on an annual basis.

‘We would like to thank the community for their understanding, assistance and support during the drought. Communities and sports organisations should partner with the City in taking ownership and shared responsibility to ensure that facilities at the sports fields are well maintained and safeguarded. We will intensify our efforts to implement programmes to ensure that the fields and facilities are ready to host sporting codes in the upcoming summer season, added Councillor Badroodien.

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