Grant cut to hit library services

THE NORTHERN Cape Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will petition Provincial Treasury for additional funding for library services as the conditional grant had been reduced to just over R12 million for the 2018/19 financial year.

Delivering the budget speech yesterday, the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, stated that municipalities were struggling to provide library services due to the decreased allocation.

“The cut will have a huge effect on our ability to deliver efficient library services, maintenance programmes, transfers and functioning of all of our libraries.”

She indicated that the upgrading of the R11.8 million Inase Moshoeu Library in Barkly West, which has been closed since 2016 after a portion of the ceiling collapsed, would commence this year.

“This library is one of five others that have been experiencing serious challenges with roof leakages. The Department of Roads and Public Works completed conditional assessments of all the affected libraries and we will be dealing with the challenges.”

She said that new libraries would be constructed in Colesberg, Kutlwanong/Soul City and in the Ga Mothibi area, while the number of libraries providing free public internet services had increased to 160.

Mbinqo-Gigaba stated that they would commence a literary translation project in partnership with Sol Plaatje University to translate several books written by Setswana authors from English into Setswana.

“During the year we will also work towards signing an agreement with the Department of Education to roll out the dual-purpose libraries that serve schools and communities that do not have access to library services.”

The department is in the process of relocating to the Mervin J Erlank complex, where offices have been revamped for the offices of the HOD and chief financial officer (CFO) after the lease at the Abattoir building expired in 2012.

The Sports Council and Sports Academy have been merged into a new entity, the Northern Cape Sport and Recreation Authority, as part of a rationalisation process, where the new board was appointed on May 31.

The Arts, Culture, Museums and Heritage sector will undergo a similar process, where there will be a single chief executive officer and CFO to streamline personnel and corporate fees and a single board to improve governance and oversight.

“This may mean that the William Humphreys Art Gallery and the Sol Plaatje Museum may be repositioned for provincial oversight and funding. We will create extensive consultations in the rationalisation process and delisting as we expect resistance and robust engagements.”

A grant of R28 million will go towards the construction and upgrading of municipal sports infrastructure in Kamiesberg (R4 million), Phokwane (R11 million), Gamagara (R2 million) and Ga-Segonyana (R10 million).

Mbinqo-Gigaba added that the department, along with Sol Plaatje Municipality, would complete the renovation of the Floors/Colville swimming pool that was named after Brian Hermanus, a local activist and sportsperson who died in an accident while he was serving as the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture in 2000.

“We intend formally reopening the swimming pool in September. This sport facility will go a long way in curbing the number of drownings we experience annually during the hot summer months.”

She added that despite experiencing setbacks on the upgrading of the synthetic soccer field in Laxey due to recent rains, it was scheduled to open in September.

“When completed it will be valued at R7 million. The synthetic soccer field will serve as a point of convergence for football players and supporters alike, where local talent will be developed. The facility will bring sport to rural areas and contribute towards sport development in our Province.”

Mbinqo-Gigaba stated that sports co-ordinators would be appointed throughout the Province this year to implement sport at schools.

“We have received numerous complaints around the decline of sport in our schools, especially schools in previously disadvantaged areas and township schools. We will also train 100 school sport implementers.

“We will continue to provide assistance towards club development in rural areas through the provision of attire, equipment, capacity building and transport. We have added Kgosi Toto and Kgosi Bareki to be included in the rural sport development programme.”