Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Peace Mabe has shed some light on how they reached consensus to have the long-awaited netball court built in the Eastern Cape province.
Mabe was speaking to the media on Friday, during the launch of the ‘Road to Sydney 2027 Netball World Cup’ campaign at the Mall of Africa.
READ: Netball in SA seems to be falling short and requires serious intervention
The deputy minister explained how Eastern Cape won the bid.
“Well, there was a bid from various provinces, and there was a committee that was elected to make a fair and sound decision on where the arena would be. So Eastern Cape became a successful province, and we congratulate them for that,” Mabe said.
“And I think also it was a good decision because we know that most of the things happen in Gauteng. So, it is time that we share equally with other provinces. This arena, it’s a commitment from the President [Cyril Ramaphosa], as he has once mentioned in one of his opening speeches of Parliament.
“Unfortunately, it has taken a long time because there were processes and planning that had to take place, but finally it has been approved, and it will be built in the Eastern Cape in the next financial year,” Mabe added.
READ: Proteas to use Commonwealth experience to prepare for Netball World Cup
The building of the netball arena comes at a time when the Spar Proteas gear up for the World Cup in Sydney, Australia, from August 25 to September 5 next year.
Meanwhile, Netball SA announced on Tuesday that the Spar Proteas would face England in a Test Series in February.
“Playing the Vitality Roses at a time like this is very important for us – this allows our Spar Proteas to gauge their state of readiness ahead of the 2027 Netball World Cup,” said Netball SA president Mami Diale.
“We have faced England a few times recently, and it is always a spectacle. Playing teams that are ranked in the top five is very important because it allows us an opportunity to measure ourselves in terms of how far we are, what we need to work on, and what we are doing right.”
- Eastern Cape was selected to host the new netball court after a bidding process overseen by a committee to ensure a fair decision.
- Deputy Minister Peace Mabe stated the arena is a commitment from President Cyril Ramaphosa and will be constructed in the Eastern Cape in the next financial year.
- The decision to build the netball arena in the Eastern Cape aims to share sports infrastructure development beyond Gauteng.
- The netball arena announcement coincides with preparations for the Spar Proteas to compete in the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
- Netball SA confirmed a Test Series between the Spar Proteas and England's Vitality Roses in February to assess readiness ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Peace Mabe has shed some light on how they reached consensus to have the long-awaited netball court built in the Eastern Cape province.
Mabe was speaking to the media on Friday, during the launch of the ‘Road to Sydney 2027 Netball World Cup’ campaign at the Mall of Africa.
READ: Netball in SA seems to be falling short and requires serious intervention
The deputy minister explained how Eastern Cape won the bid.
“Well, there was a bid from various provinces, and there was a committee that was elected to make a fair and sound decision on where the arena would be. So Eastern Cape became a successful province, and we congratulate them for that,” Mabe said.
“And I think also it was a good decision because we know that most of the things happen in Gauteng. So, it is time that we share equally with other provinces. This arena, it's a commitment from the President [Cyril Ramaphosa], as he has once mentioned in one of his opening speeches of Parliament.
“Unfortunately, it has taken a long time because there were processes and planning that had to take place, but finally it has been approved, and it will be built in the Eastern Cape in the next financial year,” Mabe added.
READ: Proteas to use Commonwealth experience to prepare for Netball World Cup
The building of the netball arena comes at a time when the Spar Proteas gear up for the World Cup in Sydney, Australia, from August 25 to September 5 next year.
Meanwhile, Netball SA announced on Tuesday that the Spar Proteas would face England in a Test Series in February.
“Playing the Vitality Roses at a time like this is very important for us – this allows our Spar Proteas to gauge their state of readiness ahead of the 2027 Netball World Cup,” said Netball SA president Mami Diale.
“We have faced England a few times recently, and it is always a spectacle. Playing teams that are ranked in the top five is very important because it allows us an opportunity to measure ourselves in terms of how far we are, what we need to work on, and what we are doing right.”
