“The lockdown negatively affected our maintenance plan. Employees had to work from home on rotational basis. Proper safeguarding of facilities was impacted and vandalism escalated. Repairs comes at a cost. We plead with the community to assist in protecting government facilities”, says Moeketsi Mohlabi, the Acting Executive Director Community Development.

The City of Joburg never had to shut its many sport and recreation gates and doors to its citizens until the arrival of the novel Coronavirus in 2020.

In May, lockdown Alert Level 4 was introduced. Any place or premises normally open to the public where religious, cultural, sporting, entertainment, recreational, exhibitional, organisational or similar activities was closed.

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As a follow up, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa issued the directions for the total shut down of sport, recreation, swimming pools, galleries, museums, parks and theatres, among others.

The City has complied with the pronounced act and directions to safe guard employees and the community against the dreadful corona virus which was spreading in South Africa. Movement at sport and recreation facilities had to be extremely restricted.

Participating in many scheduled amateur and professional sport and recreation events and programmes were cancelled or postponed. Elite athletes lost training hours, coaches lost income, development and mass participation programmes were halted. Physical contact sport activities such as rugby, wrestling and karate were prohibited.

Most athletes attempted to keep fit while at home, online activities such as virtual marathons and aerobics came to the forth with less sustainability; human interaction became

limited and social distancing became the new normal.

“Our April and June holiday school programs, aerobics, boxing and weightlifting came to a startling halt. Our programme beneficiaries suffered severely, with no measures in place to mitigate the regulations under the new circumstances”, says Nqobile Khumalo of A Team TTA Gym operating at David Pine Recreation Centre in Dobsonville.

Relaxation came and Level 3 allowed for 50% of capacity use with strict adherence to 1.2m social distancing and health protocols. Occupation at facilities, was allowed at less than 250 attendance in indoor spaces, and 500 for outdoor activities.

“The journey during Covid-19 has been very challenging with many trial and tribulations that have in a way helped us to forge ahead despite the hurdles. We hope to return to a 100% functioning capacity and incorporate our programs fully”, says Khumalo.

The City of Joburg had to ensure that facilities were repaired and deep cleaned before everyone could come or use them. Training and getting back to being active in sport and enjoyment of recreation activities were delayed.

As operations picked up, sanitisers, body thermometer temperature guns, and registers were distributed. Posters communicating Covid-19 protocols were placed at facilities and workshops were conducted to equip employees. Athletes, administrators and caretakers in various facilities were instructed to observe stipulated protocols.

Participating in physical sport activities while wearing a mask was difficult. Many reported drowsiness and could not adhere to the protocol of wearing of mask”, says Karen du Plessis, the City of Johannesburg’s Deputy Director Sport and Recreation.

“When we were eventually given the greenlight to open doors, we were met with stringent measures that rendered implementing our programs fully a futile cause. We were granted only 3 opening hours a day, we only managed to resume our aerobics, boxing and weightlifting programs at 50% functioning capacity. Due to these extremely short operating hours some of our members lost appetite in engaging with our programmes”, says Khumalo.

Super spread activities and general non-compliance resulted into Covid-19: Lock down Alert Level 3 be revised. Johannesburg was declared a hotspot area and all public recreation facilities were ordered to close.

This pandemic brought anxiety, took precious lives away and derailed service delivery. The call to give health services space to manage the corona virus did not fall on deaf ears, even though this comes with sacrifices and job losses.

“However, life is more valuable and realignment of operations is necessary to mitigate the spread of the corona virus pandemic”, concludes MMC for Community Development Cllr Margaret Arnolds.