City of Tshwane punts plan to restore HM Pitje and Odi stadiums by leasing them

Hopes for the restoration of the dilapidated HM Pitje and Odi Stadiums have been revived with a proposal by the City of Tshwane to lease the properties for 80 years to interested parties. 

The city council approved a public participation process last month to obtain input from residents and stakeholders on how to maximise the potential of the two stadiums. 

The city said Tshwane residents and communities around HM Pitje Stadium in Mamelodi and Odi Stadium in Mabopane will have the opportunity to decide on the future of the assets. Both stadiums have been unused for decades and are in a state of disrepair.

“The proposal from the city’s side is to lease the properties for 80 years to a developer, sports team or community organisation that can transform the sites and promote multiple sports and a mixed-use [capability] to make the stadiums financially viable,” read a statement by councillor Kingsley Wakelin, mayoral committee member for corporate and shared services. 

“The vision for the sites as multipurpose sport facilities is to drive local economic growth and ensure we do not end up with another white elephant as we saw after 2010. 

“There have been numerous plans over the years to transform the stadiums into venues that could host world-class sport events. During the 2010 World Cup, millions were invested in HM Pitje Stadium, but the work was ruled as insufficient by Fifa to host games.

“Even attempts to get the Premier Soccer League and Africa Cup of Nations to host games at these stadiums has come to nothing due to their state. The Gauteng provincial government also ploughed millions into HM Pitje Stadium from 2015, but the project was abandoned and that saw a significant loss of taxpayer money.

“Constant vandalism over the years forced the provincial government to demolish the stadium earlier this year. As the former home of Mamelodi Sundowns, this was a huge blow to the community and local soccer fans.” 

“The city is committed to seeing these sites become financially viable and valuable community assets that could promote sporting activities. The public participation process will commence early in 2024 with physical meetings for all communities and relevant stakeholders.

“Notices will be sent out in January next year to communicate dates and times and invite written submissions. The public will thereafter have 30 days to make their submissions to the city.” 

In 2020, billionaire and former Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe, now president of the Confederation of African Football, said he was willing to bankroll upgrades of HM Pitje stadium if the government came on board. 

HM Pitje‚ the spiritual home of the Brazilians‚ has been a white elephant for about 15 years and Motsepe said returning to the venue remains part of Downs' long-term plans. 

The stadium was closed for upgrades as a 2010 Fifa World Cup legacy project but there have been countless delays and major civil engineering problems to the main grandstand‚ where seating angles are dangerous.