Church group celebrates youth at rejuvenated gym

Back to Christ Ministries, the church group involved in a fight last year for a dilapidated boxing gym in NU6, yesterday hosted an event to commemorate Youth Day at the revamped facility.

The gym, built in 2008 at a cost of millions, was meant to develop young boxing talent in the township but over the years fell into a state of disrepair.

Residents said the building had become a white elephant and a haven for criminals.

Last year the Daily Dispatch reported that the church group wanted to take it over, raising the ire of the East London boxing fraternity.

But speaking to the Dispatch yesterday at the Youth Day event, community members said crime had decreased since the church took over.

Resident Bulelwa Tokwe said the church had had a positive effect on the community and the building was now “beautiful”.

“The atmosphere has even changed around here. Where we used to be scared to walk we can now move freely at anytime of the day because the criminals have nowhere to hide.

“Terrible things were happening here before and the building was on the verge of being torn down which would have been a waste,” said Tokwe.

Back to Christ Ministries spokeswoman Vusokazi Siphika said the Youth Day event was held to remind young people that there were other ways of commemorating June 16 without turning to alcohol.

“We want to encourage and inspire young people to participate in their local churches because at the end of the day we are getting too old and we have to pass the baton to them,” said Siphika.

She said the event was also held to highlight the improvements to the building since they took over. — ziphon@dispatch.co.za