The DA in Thaba Chweu will work closely with the Portfolio Chairperson of Culture, Sports and Recreation Bosman Grobler, to institute an investigation into the building of Simile Public Library.
According to the Social Transformation Cluster Portfolio Committee, the library needs to be revamped in order to meet specified standards. The committee raised concerns with the library’s minimum distance from major roads.
A recent report compiled by the committee has indicated that the library has no proper infrastructure and that the buildings built by the municipality are very small.
The report further detailed that the facility is expected to cater for the local communities, including four Schools (one primary school, one secondary school and two pre-schools).
Overall, we have established that the library is in a dire state, with upgrades funded by the provincial government scheduled to take place soon.
It is concerning to note how the Department Culture, Sports and Recreation is prepared to re-allocate millions of taxpayers’ money into the refurbishment of this project, while municipal officials who were in charge of overseeing the building are not held to account.
This goes to show that the ANC is not to be trusted with public funds. The department of Culture, Sports and Recreation should promote compliance with the national norms and standards for public libraries.
It is clear that municipal officials did not do due diligence when this library was built. Therefore, the department should exercise its mandate and take them to task. The ANC’s disregard of consequence management policies and poor contract management is depriving residents of basic services.
The DA will not sit back and watch taxpayers money being recycled into projects. The public deserves a government that acts transparent and takes accountability. We will not tolerate the ANC’s maladministration.
The rule of the law must be upheld at all times. Thus, we expect the department to act swiftly and ensure that municipal officials who presided over the construction of this library are brought to book.