The dream to establish a skateboard club in Mamelodi has come true for local residents Poelo Mofolo.
This after Public Works and Infrastructure Development Minister Dean McPherson personally came to Mamelodi in Tuesday to assure Mofolo that his department would definitely allocate the piece of land next to the Mamelodi East Police Station for him to build the skateboard club.
Mofolo has already secured funding to build the skateboard club and all that was outstanding in realising his dream was to get approval from the DPWI to build the stake board club on the piece of land that he had identified.
Mofolo is a founder member of the Mamelodi Skateboard Club and also a volunteer at the local Tateni Community Care Services which presently has offered Mofolo office and support in material resources for the Mamelodi Skateboard Club.
“I received a message from Poelo Mofolo regarding his ambition to build a skateboard Park and was immediately interested and set about meeting him and his colleagues who are involved in this endeavour and see for himself the amazing work that they are doing,” said DPWI Minister Dean McPherson, who was on his first ever public assignment since being appointed the department’s minister in June after the general elections on 29 May 2024.
“Our department as the custodian of state assets has to work with the community to put those assets to good use,” he said as he explained that he at some time in his life tried taking up skateboarding as a hobby but failed in this regard.
He explained that only a few outstanding signatures were outstanding before the land can be officially handed over to Mofolo to build the Skateboard Park.
“I know very well that unused land causes problems for local governments as it leads to illegal dumping, crime and health and safety issues,” he said.
“Councilors are then blamed for these problems resulting from unused land but I am happy that we have now turned a problem into a promise of hope for the community,” said McPherson.
McPherson made it clear that since the land will be handed to Mofolo for building the Skateboard Park, no disruptions by those seeking a 30% stake in the building of the park will be tolerated and his department will work hand in hand with the police and the community to secure the construction site.
“We are not going to talk or discuss matters with people who want to disrupt construction of the building of the Skateboard Park, we are not going to sit with them in conferences because they belong in jail,” said McPherson emphatically.
“I will urge my department to keep up to the timelines and processes that have been agreed upon some time ago,” he said as he urged other people who have projects in mind that need state land to contact him, stressing that they must have a financial plan as the department can’t hand over land to people who don’t have a plan on what they are going to do with the land once it is handed to them,” said McPherson.
“We are happy that Poelo has collaborated with the Minister to use unused land as it causes problems for the Tshwane Metro and the community,” said MMC for Human Settlements Ofentse Madzibatela, who was accompanying Minister McPherson as a stand-in for City of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink.
“Continue doing what you are doing and we as a City are here to support you as what you are doing is very courageous and his story is heartwarming because of the way he has been helping other people; that is selflessness on his part and we need more like him as that is the way we build a community that fights against crime and drugs abuse,” he said.
“I’m very happy for this young man and his bravery to approach the minister and skateboard is a very discipline sports that need concentration, energy and balancing and many kids will learn a lot from him.
The initiative that the young man took show courage and shows he is a leader I wish kids could go and joined and learn a lot,” said Ward 28 councilor Joyce Seelane.
“I am happy that the Minister has availed himself and his team, and also that the City of Tshwane is also here, and we are going to build a Skateboard Park that will have a social impact on the community,” said Poelo Mofolo.
“The Skateboard Park precinct won’t only be a sports facility but will also include youth programmes, creche, we will be helping kids with homework, we will have a computer lab,” said Mofolo.