Following a visit to the historic Ohlange Institute with the family of Dr John Langalibalele Dube, KwaZulu-Natal Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Sport, Arts and Culture, Mntomuhle Khawula, eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba, and KwaZulu-Natal National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Whip, Mzamo Billy, on Monday morning, the Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, announced that a special technical construction team will be established to expedite the project’s completion.
The Ohlange Institute, founded by Dr Dube and his wife in 1901 and where former President Nelson Mandela cast his first democratic vote, has received over R33 million worth of investment since 2012 but has since fallen into a state of disrepair.
The Minister said the special technical construction team between the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure and its entity, the Independent Development Trust (IDT), will have to develop a plan of action within two months to ensure that the project is completed as soon as possible. He also thanked NCOP Whip Billy for the attention he has brought to the project, including the motion he tabled in the NCOP last month calling for an urgent oversight visit to identify solutions.
“It is simply unacceptable that for more than 10 years the Ohlange Institute - which was supposed to honour the legacy of Dr Dube - was left to decay while millions were spent to upgrade it, yet it was never completed. It is exactly these kinds of projects that the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure is determined to turn around with the recently unveiled South African Construction Action Plan, to restore trust in the department and to ensure that public projects contribute positively to the communities in which they are located,” Minister Macpherson said.
“I look forward to the construction team, which will be composed of senior officials within the Department and the IDT, providing us with a pathway towards the project’s completion within the shortest timeframe possible. It is through the completion of long-delayed projects such as the Ohlange Institute - which many people have forgotten about - that we can reform the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure to ensure that it becomes service-delivery orientated and focussed on better serving communities across the country.”
The Minister said the completion of the Ohlange Institute is part of his priority to ensure that public assets contribute to the public good, instead of becoming eyesores in the communities where they are located. This is especially important for projects such as the Ohlange Institute, which were intended to honour the past as South Africa works towards a better future.
“The era of half-completed Public Works & Infrastructure projects across South Africa is coming to an end. In its place, we are introducing urgency, transparency and accountability to ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. It is through this culture of excellence that we are building a better department - and indeed a better South Africa.”
Enquiries:
Ministry of DPWI spokesperson
James de Villiers
Cell: 082 766 0276
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