Durban - A NEW SkyCar has to be purchased for the Moses Mabhida Stadium as it is no longer economical or safe to repair the one that broke down a few years ago.
Officials from the stadium revealed this to the members of the city’s executive committee yesterday during a briefing.
The officials did not volunteer this information, but it was extracted by the councillors and the revelations left them feeling they have been misled by officials about the plans to fix the SkyCar.
They claimed that all along they were told that the process to fix the SkyCar was under way.
The SkyCar is a glass-encased lift that travels up the iconic arch over the stadium to a viewing platform.
It was a popular tourist attraction at Durban’s 2010 World Cup venue. The lift has not been functional since it broke down in 2018.
The officials had tabled a report before the executive committee on the work that needed to be done at the stadium that would cost R35 million.
Included in the work is the network infrastructure upgrade, which would cost R7m, R20m for infrastructure work and R3m for work on the chiller plants.
Speaking during the meeting, DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa said: “Moses Mabhida will do well to sustain itself and the way to do that is to make income.
“Part of the way of (making) an income is to attract tourists and the SkyCar is a tourist attraction. We need that SkyCar; we have not been told what is happening with the SkyCar,” said Mthethwa.
In response, senior official Zakhi Mkhize told councillors that the city was looking to purchase a new SkyCar, an about-turn from previous claims that the old SkyCar was being fixed.
Mkhize revealed that plans were under way to procure a new SkyCar, adding that the matter would be presented before council in the coming months.
“I am flabbergasted,” said DA councillor Andre Beegte, who implied that the officials have not been forthcoming about the project. We have engaged with officials and they have never said anything about the car needing to be replaced.”
ANC councillor Nkosenhle Madlala said that city officials should produce a report on the issue so it could be properly dealt with by the executive committee and council.
“We should not be dealing with the matter as if there is a report in front of us.”