The condition the Rob Cricket Club was left in after the annual Matjhabeng Spring Blow event.Photo: Supplied


Residents of Riebeekstad have had to bear with the organisers of the annual Matjhabeng Spring Blow event, but after the past weekend they have had enough, as the event was so raucous – with a fire at some stage.

The event took place at the Rob Cricket Club in Riebeekstad and the residents described the event as chaotic, with loud music heard from as far as Lois Street.

“Why must the music go on until 06:00? Stop with the music for 12 hours. That’s enough,” said one of the residents affected by the noise.

The burning of several big, old trees, which took many years to grow, and the open field leading up to the houses in Craib Avenue is what aggravated the residents even more. The fire could have spread and posed a danger s to the nearby infrastructure and houses.

Piles of rubbish and alcohol bottles were left behind, and residents are curious as to who will clean it up, as they and the Welkom business forum maintain the area out of their own pockets.

“How are we going to stop it next year? We should sign a petition or something to stop it. We clean there and maintain the grounds. They wreck it and burn down the trees,” said a concerned resident.

Another of the residents mentioned that last year the irrigation system had been damaged after one of the events, which resulted in one of the matches being cancelled and the Rob Cricket Club paying a fine to the Lejweleputswa Cricket League (LCL) and the referees.

If the match is cancelled again this year because of the property not being in good condition, the club will be kicked out of the league, as a club needs to host two matches.

The residents want to start a petition to stop the event from happening again next year. Some residents even had the attendees of the event jumping over their fences which is a safety hazard to the residents.

“My blood was already boiling this morning. It’s one thing to hold an event with loud music, but a completely different story to harm our living area like that,” stated an angry resident

Vista spoke to the angry residents and the media enquiry was taken note of but the matter is still being investigated. The event organisers could not give comment before the paper went to print.

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