Hout Bay basketball club expresses outrage over programme suspension

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

Club chairman Roscoe Jacobs alleged that the City of Cape Town denied them access 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 due to a newly enforced booking process, but the club says it was not informed.

"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 the booking process 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.

The City of Cape Town's Recreation and Parks Department said allegations that the basketball team was all users were "untrue".

"All users were engaged since 2025 with regard to the City's booking requirements and the need to regularise the use of the facility by following due process," the department said.

They also explained that users were given forms to complete in order to explore the "free usage" option, but the club never returned the forms.

"The need for good governance and regularisation was explained to all users of the facility, including the Basketball Club representatives. The required administrative process and forms to be completed were shared; however, these were not returned by the club."

The department said there "is no hesitation on the part of the City to assist the club".

"The City will assist the club in improving their understanding of what is required into reserving time to practice their sport and/or to assist in a manner that enables all stakeholders and users of the centre to practice their preferred activities in a structured and compliant facility usage arrangement," the department said.

The department also stated that the booking system was not a new process, but that the facility was not "optimally managed" due to operational constraints.

Mr Jacobs shared concerns about the well-being of the youth, saying that many children 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."

The department confirmed the importance of progammes at such facilities.

"All community organisations and sporting clubs play an important role in the community, and the City deems these organisations as key partners and stakeholders in ensuring social, sport and recreational programmes and activities take place," the department said.

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