Vleifontein residents unhappy about abandoned library project

Residents of the Vleifontein area outside Louis Trichardt in Limpopo say they are unhappy about an abandoned multi-million rand library project. A contracted company abandoned the R10.5 million project last year.

The Public Works Department had paid the company over R700 000 before construction was abandoned. Residents say the project was abandoned without any explanation.

”We feel bad because we thought the library was going to improve our livelihoods and that of our children, but they just left and abandoned it without giving us any explanation. The library was going to help us and also future generations but now we don’t know what’s happening,” says one resident.

Meanwhile, the department’s spokesperson Witness Tiva says the company abandoned the project due to a lack of capacity.

Tiva says, ”What has led to a work stoppage there was after the contractor wrote to us and told us that he is unable to do the work or incapacitated.  We immediately contacted the Department of Arts and Culture and we agreed that we will immediately terminate the contract.”

The company, Malerate Construction, has declined to comment.