Residents are spitting flames over dangerous, high-speed stunts, or spinning, reportedly being performed illegally by drivers in the parking lot at the Gelvandale Stadium.
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Gelvandale residents are fed up with alleged illegal drag racing and wheel spinning activities next to the local stadium
Gelvandale residents are spitting flames over dangerous, high-speed stunts, or spinning, allegedly being performed illegally by drivers in the parking lot at the local stadium.
Video footage that emerged recently of drivers doing these stunts outside the Gelvandale Stadium has stoked concern over safety risks.
Spinning is an extreme South African motorsport that involves drivers performing high-speed stunts in an enclosed perimeter including burnouts, figure eights, tight circles and controlled drifts, mainly in rear-wheel drive cars.
It often also involves drivers and passengers upping the ante by performing dangerous physical stunts inside, outside or on top of the moving vehicle.
Sports minister Gayton McKenzie officially recognised and formalised car spinning as a national sport in 2024.
However, it is illegal to practise the sport in a public area and without the necessary barrier/perimeter fencing separating the vehicles from the crowd.
Residents, who claim it has become a regular occurrence at the parking lot, are worried about their safety.
The latest event is believed to have taken place at the weekend.
Ward 13 councillor Ingrid van Wyk said she was aware of the spinning activities.
"After I became the ward councillor of Gelvandale, I immediately started raising the matter at the Integrated Development Programme (IDP) sessions.
"We requested the track area to be fenced off, and proper access control measures be put in place.
"We have on numerous occasions called metro police to request that bylaws be enforced," Van Wyk said.
At an IDP meeting held earlier this year, she said, sport, arts and culture mayoral committee member Sinebhongo Kwatsha promised to conduct an oversight visit.
The visit did happen and a promise was made to fence off the parking area.
However, the fence did not materialise.
Van Wyk said: "No endeavour by the officials has been made to action our requests since 2022."
She said the challenge was that metro police had never taken the matter seriously enough to respond and officials were not allocating a sufficient budget to the ward to ensure fencing was erected.
"The area is left in a state, and some local businessmen end up cleaning [it] because tyre pieces, bottles and broken glass are left in the area."
Van Wyk said the Metro Police needed to ensure the appropriate bylaws were enforced, with the SAPS used as back up.
"We do not have a problem with spinning, not at all.
"However, a proper venue needs to be found for this to take place.
"Gelvandale residents, specifically those living in Liebenberg Road and Martin Street, are senior citizens and we need to consider the broader community," she said.
Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said the Gelvandale police were aware of the event held at the Gelvan Track parking area on Sunday but that the vehicles were on display and being showcased and not being used for drag-racing or spinning.
"The event was monitored by SAPS Gelvandale, the Public Order Policing unit and Metro Police," she said.
"SAPS Gelvandale has met two organisers of similar events and advised them to follow the required processes and apply for permission before hosting an event.
"The Gelvan Track parking area belongs to the municipality.
"The station commander of SAPS Gelvandale will engage with the municipality about security at the site and the possibility of enclosing the parking area to prevent gatherings of this nature."
A spinning video taken in the stadium parking lot was recently shared by Patriotic Alliance mayoral candidate Bradley Murray.
Murray declined to comment when approached on Wednesday.
"The PA took a decision not to engage in any media requests until after the elections.
"This includes interviews, comments and debates."
A concerned resident shared Murray's recent Facebook post on October 23 with The Herald, which displayed spinning activities.
In the post, Murray speaks over videos illustrating spinning at both the stadium and Aldo Scribante Raceway, pledging the PA's support for the spinners.
Murray's assertion received mixed reaction from his followers.
"Bradley is still instigating this illegal activity," a concerned resident said.
Murray said the spinners required a spin pitch in the vicinity.
"It's lekker man ... We support the boys.
"If we have the opportunity and when we get the opportunity, we must find the piece of land for the boys close by," Murray said in the post.
"Do you know how expensive Scribante is?
"We don't own that place. We must pay thousands ... of rand for our laaities to go spin there.
"We are not going to shun these boys away ... these boys are going to spin up until the PA has enough power to find them a piece of land that they can lease."
Another Gelvandale resident said other motorists were struggling to drive in the streets during the activities.
"Families can't even drive into their yards. Their [spinners] cars park in front of their gates."
He said the revellers drank alcohol and urinated in the streets.
"They drink alcohol in public and smoke drugs.
"Sundays are rest days for us. They don't care.
"There are no Metro Police, no police to be seen. There are not even barriers to prevent them from driving through our walls.
"They rev their cars and it gets too loud. It's really unbearable," the resident said.
A third resident said he had been sending emails to the municipality, police and various councillors, urging them to intervene, without success.
Nelson Mandela Bay Community Police Board chair Eddie Alexander said: "These events are just organised on social media. The organisers need to be taken to task.
"The CPF [community policing forum] and metro police must address the situation through operations where the events are held."
Metro spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya had not responded by the time of publication.