Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality’s (EMLM) buildings around Komani are slowly but surely crumbling back to their foundations with no plan at all from the local authority on how to maintain and revive them.
Komani-Karoo Express took a tour of three such buildings. The first stop was Mzingisi Skweyiya Hall in Mlungisi. The hall looks like a horror movie location with no door frames and windows and walls crumbling down. The rooms are littered with empty alcohol bottles and cow dung. Mzingisi Skweyiya Hall used to host political and community events as well as funerals and memorial services, but now, with roof sheets removed, the hall remains in ruins.
Having taken in the scene at the hall, the next stop was the Komani Art Centre, the last building from the township as you enter the town. While the gate is locked with a padlock, the side fence has been ripped to the ground. As you enter the yard, it seems like déjà vu. Walls are crumbling, windows have been removed and rooms are full of rubble while pipes are oozing water. From inside the rooms, one can see the clear Komani spring skies.
Local artist an former beneficiary of the centre, Wanda Combi, said there were programmes to enhance talent of artists. “There were some musicals and art together with some fashion design programmes. Some people used to knit some of their clothing there. The current state is killing some of the local artists’ hearts. I trust anyone can bring the art centre back to its standard and give everyone a chance to use it anytime they want to,” Combi said.
He said he would like the municipality to rebuild the centre and support local artists with working material. “The youth can happily use the art centre on weekends and our youth can stop going to taverns when they have nothing to do,” he said.
The Sandringham Sports Ground, which once attracted rugby teams from around the province, has been degraded to rubble. All but one structure remains standing, although without a roof and windows. When Komani-Karoo Express arrived at the grounds, groups of people sat under the trees smoking and drinking.
Akhona Nkohla, an Ezibeleni citizen, said that the municipality was failing locals, adding that there should be a budget for maintenance but the municipality just does not care. “There are people who are getting paid every month to maintain these buildings. They are just greedy for money,” Nkohla said.
The local authority failed to respond to queries at the time of writing.
