The City’s Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department opened the new Khayelitsha CBD Multi-Purpose Centre, on Saturday 10 December 2011.
The new recreation hub is part of the department’s strategy to bring sport and recreation activities to community centres. The facility is on the corner of Walter Sisulu Drive and Steve Biko Road and serves Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Tafelsig, Endlovini, Browns Farm, Mandela Park, Mnandi, Blue Waters and Colorado.
At the launch visitors enjoyed the various facilities and made good use of the sports on offer, which included netball, volleyball, badminton, mini soccer, table tennis, indigenous games, foosball, air hockey, darts, dominoes, cards, a jumping castle, face painting and snakes and ladders.
A recent recreation study conducted across the Cape metropole shows that only 24.6% of adult residents in Cape Town participate in physical activities in their spare time, yet 60% rate themselves as healthy. Almost 90% of Capetonians feel that sport and recreation is important for their communities. The report also reveals that most residents are more interested in recreational programmes such as health and fitness, arts, crafts and games than formal sporting codes such as soccer and cricket. Residents in the community surrounding the Khayelitsha CBD Multi-purpose Centre are slightly more involved in physical activities in their spare time than the general population of Cape Town.
Following this study, the department embarked on a project to identify specific facilities within each major district for the establishment of recreation hubs. The hubs are the core facilities at which various recreation programmes and activities will take place on a regular basis.
“The research findings confirm that a number of the department’s facilities, programmes and events are well-targeted, and are making a positive difference to the lives of many residents, both young and old. Conversely, some of the findings identify areas for improvement. This research will help to steer our grassroots development programmes, using the hubs as centres for community upliftment,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services, Councillor Tandeka Gqada.
The City regards sport and recreation as an important tool, contributing not only to youth development, but also to the development of communities and the fostering of social cohesion.
