The Women’s Living Heritage Monument in Tshwane, which remains closed to the public, has deteriorated to the point that paint is peeling off the walls. This was discovered during a recent oversight inspection by the Gauteng Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation.
The Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation (GDSACR) spent over R280 million on construction and operational costs. A further R14.5 million was spent fixing shoddy workmanship that occurred during phases three and four of the project over the past three years.
The monument, which was unveiled in August 2016, is meant to honour the legacy of women who played a critical role in the struggle against apartheid in the country. In addition, the centre is intended to host a training and development centre featuring statues commemorating legendary activists, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, and Sophie De Bruyn. Despite being unveiled in 2016, construction on the project was completed two years later in 2018. Furthermore, the sand used in the construction is starting to crumble.
See photos here, here, here and here.
The premises are secured with fencing and signs indicating that personal protective equipment is required to enter, even though there is no visible construction activity on the site. Seven unannounced visits have taken place since 2024 by the Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng, during which we were denied access, six of which we were denied access.
The GDSACR promised that the site would be fully operational by 2024. This deadline has since passed, and there has been no progress in getting the site fully operational. One of the reasons the site cannot become fully operational is that the City of Tshwane declared it a fire hazard for failing to comply with safety standards.
The continued delay in opening the site was blamed on the need to move the substation from the parking lot of the State Theatre to a safe area, a requirement from Fire and Safety. During this year’s oversight inspection, the project manager confirmed that the substation had been moved.
The DA Gauteng will continue to push for the opening of the Women’s Living Heritage Monument. This heritage site not only has the potential to unlock job opportunities and grow the local economy in Tshwane but will also honour the memories of the women who have sacrificed for South Africa. It is a dishonour to past and present generations that it is sitting idle as a white elephant.
A DA-led provincial government would immediately appoint a competent contractor to complete the work at this facility.