Hout Bay basketball club expresses outrage over programme suspension

The Hout Bay Hurricanes Basketball Club management says they are furious after all basketball and volleyball programmes at the Hangberg Sports and Recreation Centre were stopped.

Club chairman, Roscoe Jacobs, alleged that their access was denied by the City of Cape Town without any communication.

"We strongly condemn the City of Cape Town’s decision to suspend the Basketball and Volleyball Recreational Hub Programmes at the Hangberg Sports and Recreation Centre without consultation, transparency, or prior engagement with affected community organisations," he said.

For more than five years, the club has operated from the recreation centre as part of the City’s Recreational Hub Programme, delivering after-school basketball activities, holiday programmes, and youth development initiatives for children and young people from Hangberg and the broader Hout Bay community.

"These programmes have consistently provided safe spaces, mentorship, and positive alternatives to gangsterism, substance abuse, and other social ills," Mr Jacobs said.

He said that despite this long-standing partnership and contribution, the club was "abruptly" informed that the programme at the recreation centre no longer exists.

"To date, no formal explanation has been provided outlining why the programme was discontinued, when the decision was taken, or why community partners were excluded from the process," Mr Jacobs said.

According to the basketball club, the City denied access to the facility based on a newly enforced booking process, but the club was not informed about the new process.

"This process was introduced without adequate communication, transition arrangements, or support for community organisations that had been operating in good faith under the Recreational Hub framework for several years," Mr Jacobs said.

He added that the timing of this enforcement was "deeply troubling" as it followed engagement by the club and community members regarding the absence of holiday programmes during recent school holidays and programmes.

In September last year, Hangberg community leaders and parents raised several concerns around the lack of school holiday programmes for the area and the lack of programmes for children at the community centre ("Hangberg voices concerns over the lack of school holiday programmes," Sentinel News, September 25, 2025).

The outcome has seen the complete shutdown of basketball, volleyball, and other community-based activities at the facility.

Mary-Anne Phillips has two grandsons who participate in activities and said it was sad that the City did not take them seriously.

"If the City did take them seriously, they would have informed them about any changes, but truth be told, they do anything to our children and pretend as if they are doing everything to help," she said.

Ms Phillips said having these programmes cancelled or removed only forces their children to the streets.

"Some of them use their sports to stay away from crime and drugs, but when incidents like these occur, they only know of one place to go," she said.

Mr Jacobs shared the same concerns, confirming that there were many children who relied on these programmes for "structure, development, and safety".

"They are now left without access to organised sport and positive recreation. In a community already facing significant socio-economic challenges, the removal of such programmes undermines efforts to promote health, social cohesion, and crime prevention," Mr Jacobs said.

Sentinel News contacted the City of Cape Town on numerous occasions via email.

The City acknowledged receipt of Sentinel News's enquiry on Tuesday, January 27, and in a follow-up email by Sentinel News on Wednesday, January 28, the City said the enquiry had been "sent off to the departments." Sentinel News again followed up with the City on Thursday, January 29, to which the city responded that it had asked "the departments to urgently respond." However, no response had been received at the time of going to print.

The City's response will be added as soon as it is received.

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