Dear Editor,
With respect to a recent article (‘Synthetic track stuck at phase one…‘ SN, Jan 27) on the progress – or lack thereof – in the construction of a Synthetic Track and Field Facility (Phase 1, Leonora Community Centre Ground) the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport offers you this brief response:
Firstly, from the perspectives of both ministerial responsibility and proper journalistic protocol, the ministry is disturbed once again at the procedure used to sensationalize the issue of apparent sloth in terms of the progress of the construction project.
Any governmental project site whether completed, in use, or under construction, falls under the purview of a ministry or some other state agency. To gain proper, unimpeded access to the premises any respectable journalist should seek the agency’s permission. If this is not recognized or enforced all types of unauthorized persons may seek entry for all types of reasons.
The Ministry of Sport is quite open to responsible, investigative journalism, and has facilitated media tours of the Leonora site, the new swimming pool and other locations in the recent past. Sports journalists are encouraged, therefore, to contact the relevant officials of the ministry before rushing to print.
In terms of the construction of the synthetic track, there have indeed been some unwelcome delays. Contract signing, completion dates and various extensions have recently engaged the ministry’s concerned attention.
This has resulted in the levying of penalties against one contractor, Courtney Benn Construction, in the form of liquidated damages for deadlines lost and works not completed.
These damages now total some one-and-a-quarter million dollars, as at January 2012. Weather conditions and even variation works have not excused the errant contractor.
A fuller statement on this matter will be issued in a very short while.
Yours faithfully,
Alfred King
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Culture,
Youth and Sport
Editor’s note
‘Proper journalistic protocol’ does not require that a ‘responsible investigative journalist’ should only access a site which is under construction according to government whim, more particularly if taxpayer funds are involved. That said, however, in this particular instance, as was made clear in the story, the reporter did not enter the site at any point, because permission was not granted by the guard on duty. The photograph which appeared in our newspaper was taken from outside the facility, which is located in the open and is in plain view of the public. The story simply compared what the Minister of Sport had said at press conferences, with what could be seen on the ground by anyone who cared to look.
On a related matter, we might add that in general, it is difficult to secure comments on issues relating to sport from the officials at the ministry.
