Residents demand answers over abandoned library project
TUBATSE
One of the vital projects being implemented by the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) has stalled. Locals in Praktiseer and neighbouring communities said they haven’t seen contractors at the Praktiseer Library site in recent months.
The R16 million project, which was estimated to be completed before July 2023 is abandoned. Locals said the structure looks far from completion, but the draft April IDP/Budget for 2023/2024 indicates that the project is 80% complete.
“Meaning more than R12 million might have been spent on the project, which was supposed to have been finished already,” alleged the residents.
When the project to build a library was announced, community members, who described it as a beacon of hope and a valuable hub of information and education, were very pleased. Learners from the local schools had also been eagerly waiting for construction to be completed.
A Grade 12 pupil at one of the local schools, Katlego Makofane said they had great hopes for the library. “The library would have been beneficial for us, especially since we come from diverse backgrounds and some of us face distractions and disturbances such as loud noises that prevent us from studying at home,” he said.
Lethabile Kgwedi, Socialist Agenda of Dispossessed Africans (SADA) Councillor in Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM), said the incomplete library project has sparked growing concerns in the community.
“No one is giving clear answers on what is happening on the project. The only thing we know about the project is that it is a poor workmanship, and not suitable to be occupied by human beings, particularly those with vested interests of learning and furthering their knowledge and educational background. We all know what a library is to society and the kind of people it attracts,” explained Kgwedi.
He said the political party is going to report the building to a body regulating buildings in the province and also to require external engineers to give technical advice on the abandoned library.
“It is not a value for money project and a threat to the lives of individual members of society, including young children,” he said.
Sekhukhune Times recently visited the site, only to be welcomed by security officials guarding the unfinished project. This publication learnt that all bids for phase 1 of this project closed back in February 2022, but 27 months after the closure, there is still no library for the locals.
Community members said this incomplete project is affecting them badly. “Education is not prioritized by this municipality. We have to travel to Burgersfort town to get library services. If one needs access to the internet for research projects, he has to fork out R30 an hour for surfing the net.
” The Burgersfort Library is too small as it serves so many communities. We urge our leaders to invest in education as it is the future of this country. A nation that reads is a nation that grows”
In trying to find out the updates on this project, this publication forwarded queries to the FTLM’s communications manager Thabiso Mokoena. Amongst the questions posed was the completion date of this project as well as reasons behind the abandonment.
At the time of going to print, Mokoena was yet to respond. Sekhukhune Times will update readers when the FTLM responds
