An elderly man is set to undergo surgery after slipping and falling on the badly damaged surface of the Lenasia South Tennis Courts-an incident residents say could have been prevented if long-standing complaints had been addressed. The gentleman sustained severe injuries on the court on 15 February.
Resident Rajesh Baginath said the accident highlights the urgent need for intervention: “An elderly gentleman slipped and fell on the court while playing, sustaining severe injuries due to the poor condition of the playing surface. He was rushed to hospital and is currently being prepared for surgery.”
The incident has sparked frustration among residents, who say they have repeatedly warned authorities about the state of the facility.
According to community representative Umesh Dulabh, the tennis courts were built to promote recreation, tennis development, and life skills coaching for schools, youth, and the broader community. “The facility was resurfaced in July 2021, fencing was replaced, and lighting was partially repaired. However, the improvements were short-lived. Only two months after the tennis courts were resurfaced, cracks started appearing on both courts. The lights are no longer working,” he said.
Concerns were previously raised during a meeting with Ward 120 Cllr Puseletso Nazimande at the Lenasia South Civic Centre. Nzimande later conducted an on-site inspection on 20 April 2024, accompanied by officials including Mr Manqoba David Gabela.
According to Dulabh, the inspection revealed several issues: numerous cracks and holes in the playing areas; piles of sand and weeds caused by cracked cement; badly faded paint and line markings; damaged and sagging nets; and non-functioning lights.
“As a result of the cracks, loose surface, and overall poor condition of the tennis courts, members participating in tennis have slipped and fallen. We have a member who actively participates in tennis every weekend at the age of 76 who slipped on the surface and fell. Fortunately, he was not badly injured at the time,” Dulabh said.
Residents say this week’s serious injury was a tragic escalation of earlier warning signs.
“We previously raised concerns about the state of our tennis courts with the councillor and the Johannesburg mayor’s office, but unfortunately, our pleas fell on deaf ears. It’s disheartening to see our community suffer due to inadequate leadership and service delivery,” said Baginath.
The community is now calling for the urgent resurfacing of the courts and the installation of new nets as an immediate priority, with lighting repairs and additional upgrades to follow when funding becomes available.
“We humbly request that, for now, the Lenasia South Tennis Courts be resurfaced and new nets installed. The lights and any further work can be done later when the budget permits,” Dulabh said.
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