On Tuesday night, Clarendon High School for Girls reversed its decision to suspend its rowing programme – the only public, all-girls school rowing programme in the country – which was set to end on September 20 due to the rental dispute between the East London Boating Association (ELBA) and Transnet Ports Authority (TNPA).
Parents, athletes, and staff have established a parent-led task team to investigate the sustainable future of rowing at the school after two weeks of outraged campaigning from the rowing community opposed to the intended suspension.
CGHS rowing was founded in 1997 and since then has seen rowers excel nationally and internationally, landing scholarships to SA and US universities.
CGHS had the biggest number of girls participating in the last SA Schools Championships and has represented the only avenue through which gender parity in rowing has been realised in the Eastern Cape.
In a letter sent out in late August, the school said a possible increase in the rental paid to Transnet for the building it shares with ELBA’s tenants was not within its budget. It also said Nahoon Dam, to which Selborne College’s and the Leander Rowing Club has moved to in the last year, was not suitable.
In May, the East London high court dismissed the ELBA’s application for an order that the lease for R7,000 per month was concluded with TNPA before the latter set out a monthly rental of R35,000 excluding VAT, with an annual increase of 8%.
However, the ELBA has not lost the tender as they are still the preferred bidder. This puts the ELBA in line to negotiate a market-related rental with TNPA but if they fail to come to an agreement, then TNPA can go to the second and third preferred bidders.
This has forced a stalemate.
CGHS school governing body chairperson Robin Knott said at the time that the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of boating and rowing facilities on the Buffalo River forced the school to carefully assess the feasibility of continuing to offer rowing as a school sport.
After a September 10 meeting, the school has now decided to retain the rowing programme for the interim if parents and athletes commit to fundraising to sustain it.
The ELBA’s Graeme Mountford said that in the wake of the court outcome, the association had been left waiting on Transnet to accede to its request to negotiate a rental agreement favourable to the survival of the rowing clubs at Buffalo River, which included fledgling clubs such as University of Fort Hare and Walter Sisulu University, whose existence was financially contingent on being located at the Buffalo River. He said it was sad for the country’s rowing community that CGHS had been forced to consider suspending its rowing programme.
“The rowing clubs in East London have existed on the Buffalo River for 150 years, with the Buffalo Regatta being the oldest, consecutively run event in South African sporting history.
TNPA said it was still involved in discussions with the ELBA and understood the predicament faced by NPOs and SMME which were tenants in the port, however, rental prices were based on a market rental valuation with a registered valuer.
TNPA also stressed that a portion of the rates payable by tenants was directed to Buffalo City Metro, and as such, any increases in rental agreements was, in TNPA’s view, in accordance with BCM increases.
The ELBA’s treasurer, Kate Godfrey, said the association was committed to challenging TNPA over the increase. Selborne College headmaster Andrew Dewar said the school’s club, the oldest in SA, agreed that the uncertainty over the lease agreement between ELBA and TNPA was untenable.
Selborne’s rowing club has had to move to Nahoon Dam. Until recently, it was still a member of the ELBA, but with it now being situated at the dam, it has to turn its resources towards building up the site for rowing, which will include building infrastructure such as boat racks and jetties.
Dewar said: “It is very concerning when sports clubs and sporting codes, which have benefitted this city and the larger communities for so many years, are being forced to consider their ability to continue operating.
“The premises on the Buffalo River is facing annual 8% increases in rental together with a commercial property valuation on the rental. These rates are unsustainable for the sport of rowing, with neither clubs, universities or schools being in a position to meet the indicated rental value.
“Transnet further does not assist in the maintenance or the security of their property and this further is the responsibility of the rowing clubs. The Buffalo River water quality is a major concern with frequent sewage overflows into the river together with industrial waste from industry surrounding the Buffalo River.
“Should the Clarendon Rowing Club discontinue it would be a tragedy to rowing, not only in the Eastern Cape, but also on a national level. Clarendon have been very competitive locally and at National Schools Championships.”
Rowing SA president, Sean Kerr, said the Buffalo Regatta represented an annual pilgrimage of rowers since 1881 from across the world that had brought R6-10m to the region.
“The sudden prospect of increases on the cost of rowing that schools like Selborne and Clarendon have been hit with are challenges being faced by school sports nationally.
“Rowing SA will always look for partnerships in the private and public sector to assist rowing because sports like rowing have a systemic influence on the nation and its impact on our social fabric cannot be overstated.”
