The ANC’s tribute to the renowned liberation struggle stalwart Oliver Reginald Tambo is mere lip service and an insult to his legacy because of the sad state of the OR Tambo Precinct in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, which has been neglected and is not operational.
The R54 million state-of-the-art facility which consists of a multi-purpose centre, amphitheatre, environmental centre, and displays on the history of OR Tambo is not benefitting the residents of Ekurhuleni due to its poor workmanship. There is a need for an additional R10 million to fix the structural deficits.
Furthermore, this precinct is not included in the approved municipal organogram.
For far too long, the DA has been calling on the Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation (SACR) to fix the structural deficits of this facility and ensure that it is fully operational.
Delays in fixing this facility will result in more damage to the structure and the accumulation of more costs.
Please see images here, here, here and here.
Based on previous experience, the longer such facilities remain abandoned, they become vulnerable to vandalism and theft.
The DA will write to the Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, demanding his urgent intervention to ensure that this facility is fixed and operational. We will also demand his interventions to ensure that this precinct is included in the municipality’s organogram so that a human resource structure is adopted, and the precinct is opened so that the residents of Ekurhuleni can finally benefit from it.