By Khanyisa Khenese
Abandoned, dilapidated, and stripped public and private buildings in Makhanda are an eyesore that has been left to rot for years with little intervention by the municipality or the Public Works and Infrastructure department.
In contrast, in others, there has not been intervention to facelift or safeguard them. Buildings like Benjamin Mahlasela High School, Albany Lounge, Kings Lodge, Grahamstown Primary School, and Temba Santa Hospital are dangerous to society as they are have become hubs for criminal activities. These buildings are homes for thugs to smoke in, hideouts for criminals, the homeless and illegal dumping sites, causing anxiety in the community.
The abandoned public buildings:
Benjamin Mahlasela Secondary School and Grahamstown Primary School
The lifeless Benjamin Mahlasela Secondary School and old Grahamstown Primary School are buildings that once had the potential to live and serve the community, but they are now standing empty and left to grow vegetation.
Benjamin Mahlasela Secondary School was shut down in 2013 because the number of learners was declining. After the school was closed down the building was stripped of the materials from windows to doors and left as a hollow shell for dagga smokers and a dumping site.
It has been six long years since Grahamstown Primary School learners were promised a better, and modern school, but their old school still stands as a stripped abandoned building with no sign of progress and no hint of promised upgrades.
The school was set to be upgraded with a new administrative block, library, IT centre and school hall in 2018. In 2019 the school was moved to prefabricated premises not far from the old premises so that construction could start, but the project collapsed in 2019 after the provincial departments of Education and Public Works and Infrastructure failed to pay the construction company XOLMAK and Civil Engineering Consultant.
According to the Public Works and Infrastructure communication officer, Siyabonga Mdodi, the department of Education failed to pay the construction and civil engineering consultant.
“The contractor could not start with the earth works due to unavailability of drawings from the civil and structural engineering consultant. The unavailability of drawings came as a result of non-payment of a professional consultant of the Department of Education, which led to the engineering company suspending their services and the contractor giving a notice to cancel the project,” he said.
Department of Education spokesperson Mali Mtima pointed fingers back at the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, saying the contractors were only paid around R8m by the department.
“They left the site complaining about default and non-payment by the implementing agent (Public Works).”
Mdodi concluded that the outstanding payments for both professional fees and the contractor were later settled, and the final account was approved.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure revealed that it handed over the rights of the buildings to the Makana Municipality.
“On 19 July 2019 the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure wrote to Makana Municipality advising the intention to relinquish its rights for the land parcel back to the municipality,” said Mdodi.
However, ANC ward councillor Sakhiwo Zono said they are currently in contact with the Department of Public Works and infrastructure to demolish the Benjamin Mahlasela building.
“We are waiting to hear from Department of Public Works and the director of the Department of Local Development and Planning at Makana Municipality is also assisting with this process to move forward with the demolition of the building,” he said.
Kings Lodge building
Kings lodge is an abandoned building that belongs to the Department of Health. It served as a residence for doctors who worked at Settlers Hospital. The hospital stopped using the building due to safety concerns.
Although the building has been neglected, its exterior walls still retain a sense of opulence, but the floor is dismantled and the toilet, bath tubs and doors were stolen.
Eastern Cape Health MEC’s spokesperson, Mkhululi Ndamase, confirmed that “a process of handing the building back to Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has already started”.
Private properties:
Temba TB Hospital
Temba Santa TB Hospital was Makhanda’s the only specialist Tuberculosis (TB) hospital. The facility was closed down by the provincial Department of Health last year because its demand level did not justify continuing the use of the private property when government’s property was available.
It has been said that in 2001 the building was in a state of despair and was found unfit for patients. In 2012 it lost its only doctor, and the Department of Health reportedly delayed the hiring of a new nurse.
Albany Lounge
Albany lounge is an abandoned building in Ward 4 at Albany Road that was used as a bar and club for the community members of Makhanda.
Beaufort Street building
An elderly street vendor informed Grocott’s Mail that the buildingin Beaufort Street was once a store selling secondhand clothes before it closed a few years ago. A part of the building’s side wall has recently collapsed.
According to Makana Municipality spokesperson, Anele Mjekula, mayor Yandiswa Vara and the LED and Planning department “embarked on an awareness campaign in February 2023 as a starting point, along Beaufort Street, Bathurst Street, New Street and High Street, to bring awareness to property owners on compliance in terms of buildings, signage and advertisements”.
Mjekula added that owners of neglected properties that were in contravention of prescribed legislation were issued with notices of compliance, and the municipality received a positive response from many abandoned property owners who made efforts to facelift their properties.
“The biggest challenge that we are experiencing with this process is that many property owners do not reside on the properties or in Makhanda and communication is via tenants which has not been helpful. We have served and taken legal action against property owners who have chosen to ignore our communication and that is an ongoing legal process,” he said.
Regarding municipal buildings, he said the municipality has an allocated budget that will be used for minor renovations and repairs of municipal properties.
“Unfortunately, we do not budget for the upkeep and maintenance of private properties. That is the responsibility of the property owner. However, we do issue notices of contravention to property owners that do not take care of private property as per the National Building Regulations,” said Mjekula.
He added that the municipality intends to continue with the door-to-door campaign to bring awareness and they have won in some streets through the help they received from local business owners.
“We would like businesses in town as well as the GRA to support the municipality in locating some property owners and ensuring that they comply with the required building standards,” said Mjekula.
In response to the building that is collapsing in Beaufort Street, Mjekula said the municipality has been in communication with the property owner about its condition.
“The property in question has a court dispute, which is why the affected property owners have not been able to deal with the matter. As an interim plan, the municipality has removed traders in front of the building and has barricaded the property as a safety measure.”
Community Policing Forum PRO, Richard Alexander, and secretary, Pinkie Sobahle, both told Grocott’s Mail that in addressing abandoned buildings and protecting the community, the forum contacts the owners of privately owned properties to take care of the buildings by renting them to rental agents. However, pertaining to government-owned buildings, the forum recommends a department to occupy it or hand it over to the Public Works in order to safeguard the community.
Sobahle and Alexander said this has not been an easy task. “When they realise that the process involves the police, they tend to take it seriously.”
“We are glad to report that all the parties agreed to participate. This has resulted in some buildings rehabilitated and others having guards in the premises. The CPF monitors the buildings,” they said.
An anonymous community member that Grocott’s Mail found sitting in Benjamin Mahlasela Secondary School building, said the building poses serious danger to their community. “People coming from taverns are often targeted and robbed by criminals hiding around this area. I believe it should either be demolished or transformed into something beneficial for our youth, like a community centre or skills development hub. This would not only improve safety but also provide valuable opportunities for our young people.”
