Zainul Dawood | Published 1 day ago
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted written parliamentary questions to KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Department of Sports, Arts and Culture (DSAC) regarding the more than decade-long delay in completing a community library in Imbali, Msunduzi.
Tammy Colley, MPL – DA KZN spokesperson on Sports, Arts and Culture, said that in 2014 the former MEC for Arts and Culture announced that the state-of-the-art facility - valued at R65 million - would begin in October that year, with completion due in February 2016.
“Sadly, this promise to the Imbali community was not realised. Eight years later, in March 2024, there was a glimmer of hope with a sod-turning event for the project . Regrettably, this too has come to nothing,” she said.
She said the completion date was set for 2016. Colley said that a recent oversight inspection by DA public representatives revealed that while the site was secured, no construction was taking place.
“Access was not permitted as the contractor was not on site. We were informed by the community liaison officer that work had stopped due to non-payment,” she said.
Colley added that libraries are integral parts of communities, offering safe and quiet places for learning, access to resources and connectivity.
“In an ideal world, residents of Imbali would have had access to library services for more than a decade by now. They and other communities in our province cannot afford to have such critical facilities unnecessarily delayed,” she stated.
Enquiries to DSAC has not been responded to by time of publication.
In August 2014, the former MEC for Arts and Culture Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha delivered the 2014/2015 budget speech where she said that R165 million would be spent on constructing new libraries and finalising those already being built in KZN.
“Imbali Library, which will be built at a cost of R65m, is indeed the department’s flagship project. It boasts numerous facilities such as an auditorium and is centrally located,” she stated.
Imbali Residents and Civic Association (IRCA) spokesperson Alex Mbeje said they were concerned about the continued delays in key development projects in their area, particularly the Imbali Community Library. Mbeje said residents were concerned about limited engagement with community stakeholders and the need to ensure that residents benefit meaningfully from development, including access to fair employment opportunities.
“As a recognised community and ratepayers’ structure, we are calling for accountability, transparency, and clear communication on the status of the project, the reasons for delays, and the expected completion timelines. Communities deserve to be kept informed and included in developments that directly affect them,” Mbeje said.
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