The abandoned Swartklip Indoor Sports Centre in Mitchells Plain stands as a stark reminder of an unmet promise for community upliftment. Built for R29 million and opened in 2010, the hall offered sports courts and recreation areas during the FIFA World Cup period. By 2015 engineers had deemed the structure unsafe and ordered its closure.
According to the Weekend Argus , City records show unstable ground conditions over an old 1988 landfill caused foundation movement, leading to cracks in slabs and distorted support beams. Officials decided that remedial piling would require partial demolition and risk further damage.
The council began full demolition in 2023 as the most cost-effective solution.
Since its shutdown, the site has cost taxpayers R716 794.32 per year to manage security and basic ablution services around the fenced perimeter. Meanwhile, local youth have lost a key facility amid rising unemployment, school dropouts and gang violence.
Community activist Joanie Fredericks of Tafelsig recalls how the centre once hosted after-school ball games, talent shows and chess tournaments. She says young people from both Mitchells Plain and adjacent Khayelitsha relied on its safe environment.