By Nangamso Mabindla
14 June 2005

A R2-million boxing arena is to be built in the Buffalo City township of Mdantsane as part of the presidential urban renewal programme.

The arena will form part of a R70-million sports complex to be built in NU 6. It will boast netball, basketball and volleyball courts and the boxing arena. According to the project manager for the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Project, Riana Pretorious, the department of sports, arts and culture has set aside funds for the project.

Through the urban renewal programme, the City aims to change the face of the township and turn it into an economic hub by the year 2020. This will be done through job creation, building recreational facilities such as parks, and improving infrastructure.

Since the launch of the programme changes in the township include the upgrading of the Highway Rank in the central business district, new roads in NU 17 and a One Stop Shop in NU 6.

Buffalo City will also work closely with the Amathole District Municipality to improve sporting facilities in the township. "Mdantsane is known as a boxing mecca, so we found it appropriate to start off with a R2-million boxing arena," Pretorious said.

The City and the district municipality wanted to focus on sports as a means of taking the township's children off the streets.

"We would like to use sports as a means to take youngsters off the streets. They need to follow their leaders and make a living out of sports."

Mdantsane has already produced household names like former world boxing champions Welcome Ncita and Vuyani Bungu. The two used the sport as a means of escaping the poverty in the township and the City and the Amathole aim to produce more such sports champions.