By Luvuyo Mjekula
The Democratic Alliance in Makhanda is putting pressure on the Eastern Cape Department of Public Works (DPW) to account for a number of its buildings left derelict in various parts of the town.
The buildings include the former Environmental Health offices in Huntley Street, the police barracks in Somerset Street and others near the taxi rank in Queen Street, Cowie Street and the PA Village.
DA Ward 8 councillor Cary Clark identified the properties and recently conducted oversight visits.
Clark said the properties have deteriorated, been badly vandalised, had fire damage and have just been left by DPW to degrade and attract bad elements into areas where there are schools with young children and residential neighbourhoods. She said this not only showed a town in decay, but the neglect of aesthetics and heritage.
She said some are heritage buildings, a real concern. “Because besides our infrastructure that is falling apart, that we could be using or selling or whatever, that [a local]school would love to use buildings like this. My concern as well is ‘where is our heritage council, because Makana in particular is actually a heritage town’?”
According to Clark, heritage brings people to Makana. “It gives the place the atmosphere and why people come here.”
She added that she had tried to report the matter when one of the buildings started being vandalised and DPW came to Makhanda and promised to secure it. But she said: “If I look at what it looked like then and what it looks like now, it’s gone much, much worse. So, I’m really concerned that right under our noses, we are losing our assets.”
DA Frontier Constituency leader Jane Cowley, Public Works shadow MEC, Dr Malcolm Figg, as well as local caucus leader Luvuyo Sizani, joined Clark in the oversight visits.
Cowley slammed the DPW for “absolute” lack of accountability. “I mean, this is a tragic waste of infrastructure.”
It would cost the taxpayer a fortune to either revamp them.
“So, it’s a matter of being accountable and a matter of maintaining the infrastructure that you have, so that it can be used for various service delivery options,” Cowley asserted.
The DA now wants the department to commit to resolving the problem.
Figg, who sits on the portfolio committee on Public Works, will take the issue of the buildings and other problems the party has identified back to the Provincial Legislature where he will craft parliamentary questions, raise the issues in the committee and the house for a resolution from the department.
He said the problem of derelict buildings was prominent in the whole of the country and is not related to funding, but leadership.
“So, what we’re going to say to the Department of Public Works is ‘use it or dispose of it’.” He explained that the buildings can be put to better use. Renting them out in a good state could be one of the options, because Public Works is one of the departments that doesn’t generate enough revenue. “They actually fell short of revenue generation. Last year, they had a target of R94 million for own revenue generation. They only generated R17 million.”
He concluded: “I will be asking questions to the MEC for Public Works as to exactly that. ‘What is your plan with the building? What are you going to do with the building? If you’re not going to do anything, why not? Is there a possibility of disposing of the building?”
Numerous attempts by Grocott’s Mail to obtain comment from the DPW have been unsuccessful.
