No shelter for fans, players at Tawana fields

If you’ve ever watched a football match at NWU’s Tawana fields, you’ve probably felt the sun beating down on you or were soaked by the pouring rain. That’s because the main pavilion still has no roof, despite hosting some of the university’s busiest fixtures.

The Tawana fields on the Fanie du Toit Sportsground are primarily used by NWU’s high-performance soccer teams. These include the men’s and women’s squads that compete at provincial level in the ABC Motsepe League and the Sasol League respectively.

The soccer facilities were revamped in preparation for the Spanish team that trained here for the FIFA World Cup in 2010. They stayed in the NWU Sports Village, which was in the final stages of completion. The Spaniards walked away with the laurels.

In addition to the high-performance teams, one residence team also uses the field to compete in the SAB League, a regional-level competition. Several other student residence teams use the field for match days, increasing the load on the facility. Despite this heavy usage, infrastructure upgrades have not kept pace.

Phased development approach

Michael Seleka, NWU soccer manager, said the pavilion issue has been raised but explained that it is part of a larger, phased approach to facility upgrades. “As a university, you work with projects,” he said. “First, we tackled the toilets, which were renovated last year after being reported two years ago, then fencing, which began in September and ended in January this year. We’re now focusing on irrigation, which began in late November last year. The pavilion will be next, but it’s still a process.”

Seleka added that the roof over the bleachers was removed in late 2023 because water from the old irrigation system ruined it over time. The new system must be installed so that it does not cause damage. “The system was damaging the fence, too. That’s why we’re taking it step by step,” he said. However, the timeline remains uncertain and depends on budget approvals.

While these delays are understandable from a project management perspective, the impact on players, visiting teams, and supporters is more immediate. Visiting teams have also complained, prompting the university to use gazebos during events.

Maintainance delays, fan frustration

According to Marco van Rooyen, who oversees maintenance at the Fanie, the pavilion roof installation falls outside of maintenance duties and must be registered as a new infrastructure request. “It would be something that the user of the facility, NWU Sport, would have to request and follow through with Facilities,” he said.

Long-time supporter Lesedi Mokoena, who rarely misses a home game, is frustrated. “I always come here to support Tawana in all kinds of weather, but it’s sometimes difficult, especially during midday kick-offs, as the sun is usually too hot at that time.”

Seleka said that professional clubs such as Maritzburg United and Kaizer Chiefs have used the Fanie for training camps due to the favourable climate in Potchefstroom. However, he stressed that while NWU Sport is privileged compared to other campuses, limited budgets mean the university must prioritise and plan carefully.

“People want to see results, but budgets play a role. It’s not just us, other sporting codes face similar issues,” he said.