Two Chippa United home games have been moved from Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium because its new pitch was not ready. A civic movement claims the loss to the City exceeds R5m and is demanding accountability.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium has lost two high-profile Premier Soccer League fixtures after pitch renovations left the playing surface unready, while the metro's multimillion-rand sponsorship deal with Chippa United, the Eastern Cape's only PSL club, has lapsed without renewal.

The setbacks have raised concerns about the future of the stadium, with Mayibuye Civic Movement president Tukela Zumani and the metro's sport, recreation, arts and culture MMC, Sinebhongile Kwatsha, warning that without top-flight matches, the facility risks becoming a white elephant.

The sponsorship renewal never reached council after the metro's sport, recreation, arts and culture committee rejected the proposal. The council went into recess without resolving the matter, leaving the future of the multimillion-rand deal uncertain.

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In the latest mishap, the stadium missed two Chippa United fixtures scheduled for 16 August and 12 September, against Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns respectively, due to the failure to get the stadium ready after the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) commissioned construction work on the pitch that was apparently not completed on time.

The pitch required maintenance work after the Springboks versus Barbarians rugby clash at the stadium in June.

The work entails the resurfacing of the inner bowl pitch. The first phase...