Library building repairs long overdue
WHITE RIVER - It has been a year since the library in this town had to close its doors due to dangerous structural damages.
And there is still no sign of anything being repaired.
The residents are now demanding speedy action in getting the White River Library back open and running, as it is the only one in the area. They said the municipality should have prioritised getting it repaired.
The ward councillor, Rowan Torr, says the closure of the library is a disaster for the town. He said, however, an amount of R500 000 has been set aside in the City of Mbombela’s (CoM) adjusted budget for repairs, and the municipality claims to have already completed 5% of the project. “I can’t see where this 5% is, unless it is for the appointment of the outside contractor, because currently there is no contractor on-site that shows if they are working on it. However, the people are angry; it’s been over a year that the town has not had a library service,” he said.
Meanwhile, one of the residents, who used to be regular library user, Riaan Murray, said the government is not taking them seriously, because they should have prioritised the repairs a long time ago. “It’s been a full year since it was closed, and there has been no proper communication to residents in the area. It has been quiet since its closure, and we haven’t seen any contractors on-site. I personally demand that our provincial and local governments come together and do the repairs to the library,” he said.
Michelle van Dyk, a student, said the library used to be very useful to the residents, especially those still in school, but since its closure, they are forced to use the Mbombela Library, which comes with a cost. “I don’t know why they are not repairing it while they know it’s the only library we have in the area, and those who cannot afford to travel to Mbombela are doomed. So I plead with whoever is responsible to fix it to and do it the right way,” she urged.
Previously, the spokesperson for the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Sibongile Nkosi, said the library was affected by the Lowveld floods, and to protect its staff and users, it had to be closed. “The temporary closure is due to a leaking roof as a result of the heavy rains that hit the Lowveld region in February last year. The walls are also not in good condition, either. The library was registered for repair under the emergency projects affected by the floods. However, the promised funds from the Disaster
Fund were never made available from the National Disaster Management Centre. However, the White River Library’s renovations are prioritised for the 2024/25 financial year as per the departmental business plan,” she explained.
However, the CoM’s spokesperson, Joseph Ngala, did not respond to Lowvelder’s queries regarding the library.