Netball South Africa to engage sports minister over new arena

During the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town, President Cyril Ramaphosa publicly promised that NSA would be provided with a new arena, a commitment later echoed by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi in an interview with SABC Sport. However, nearly two years after the pledge was made, little progress has been seen on the ground.

Despite the delays, Diale remains optimistic that the promise will be fulfilled, saying NSA plans to intensify engagements with both the Premier and the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie.

“We are aiming to win the hearts of the minister and the Gauteng premier so that they can sign off on the arena as promised,” Diale told SABC Sport. “We remain hopeful that both the minister and the premier will deliver. Our offices are currently based in Tshwane, next to Loftus Stadium, but our dream is to relocate to Johannesburg, close to the new arena that was promised to us.”

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Diale added that NSA will continue to engage government leadership until the matter is finalised. “We will keep engaging the minister and the premier to make sure that this dream is signed off and becomes a reality.”

Premier Lesufi previously revealed that land had been identified to kick-start the process, a statement he made more than a year ago during the unveiling of former NSA CEO Modiegi Komane.

While progress has been slow since then, Diale says the delays have not dampened the federation’s spirits.

“We will never stop believing and remaining hopeful. We believe the arena will be built; it is just a matter of time. We need to keep in touch with the minister and the premier until that dream happens,” she said.

The Spar Proteas recently defended their Africa Cup of Nations title in Malawi and are set to host England in a three-match Test series at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg in January. Due to budget constraints, NSA was unable to take the series to Durban or Cape Town — a situation Diale believes would have been different if the promised arena was already in place.

Making follow-ups on the long-promised arena forms part of Diale’s New Year’s resolutions, as NSA looks to finally turn a World Cup promise on home soil into a lasting legacy for the sport.