IN May 2021 the Joburg City Library, an iconic building on Albertina Sisulu Road and Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Street, shut its doors due to structural and fire complaints.
To date at least R18 million has been spent to be compliant with the regulations, but still the doors of this building remain closed under "undergoing upgrades" claims.
How the prestigious building came to a closure
In 2019, the library housing material dating back to the mid-1900s experienced great water inflow into the facility.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, forcing all public building to close down, this gave the City of Joburg a chance to conduct a visual conditional assessment to ascertain what brought about the leaks into the building.
While the report highlighted pertinent maintenance and refurbishment aspects that had to be dealt with, the leaks were not the only issue with the building.
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A report conducted by Emergency Management Services in consultation with the appointed fire engineer outlined the many faults in the building, including damage to structure due to water inflow and non-compliance to fire safety regulations.
Beginning of endless reconstruction work
The city said in May 2021, the Joburg Development Agency (JDA) appointed a contractor to address leaks and fire issues in the library.
The budget received was R25 million, with R18 million spent in the 2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23 financial years with an additional R45 million required to comply with regulations.
Remedial work has since been undertaken in previous years, including making the library watertight and impermeable to water, however, this scope is still incomplete, the city said.
In 2023, the city alongside JDA pledged to give the library a R900 000 facelift, including roof tile replacement, waterproofing, gutter sealing, fire detection solutions, gas suppression system commissioning, and fire signage.
However, due to budget limitations, it will take at least three years to complete the rebuilding.
Where is the city now in attending to the matter
The city said it is focusing on ensuring the safety and accessibility of the Central Library and that all statutory compliance matters pertaining to Emergency Management Services by-laws and National Building Regulations are completed and certified.
But they alluded that more money may be needed to complete the work as the complex nature of the repairs and the need for careful planning and execution will take time to complete.
Rip off to the community
But DA Joburg Councillor Bongani Nkwanyana rubbished the delays and need for more money, saying it is unacceptable.
“We have allocated R5 million but once the year ends, we will see yet again work not being done. As a department, we are not receiving any progress report which will then make one conclude that those in the government seat have turned this into a money-making scheme for themselves,” he said.
To date, Nkwanyana said he has dealt with several complaints from community members who feel robbed by the closure of the library. This as they depend on it a lot during exams.
