The Democratic Alliance (DA) is gathering signatures for a petition to get Dawid Kruiper municipality’s old civic centre operationalized again.
The centre, situated in Progress, was once the biggest municipal service delivery site in Dawid Kruiper, serving the broader Upington community. It closed down twelve years ago, resulting in significant disruptions to access to services, causing huge inconvenience to residents who used to be able to pay their accounts and buy electricity at the facility.
Residents have since had to make their way to the municipal building in town, creating long queues while the civic centre not only stands unused, but is also increasingly falling into disrepair and becoming prey to criminals. The airconditioners have been stolen as have the two small entrance gates and paving stones, amongst other things. Computers and other equipment have also disappeared. The grounds are used by vagrants and drug users, as the building continues to get vandalized and carried away bit by bit.
The DA has probed the closure of the facility with the Municipal Manager, the Chief Financial Officer and in committee on numerous occasions. No one can give us an answer with regards to why the facility was closed, nor can they provide us with a valid reason as to why the building, which has water, sanitation and electricity connections, cannot be re-opened. It is pointless that a supervisor spends his full workday looking after an empty building that could be put to much better use. It is also negligent to allow a municipal asset, that could add value to the people of Upington, to go to wreck and ruin.
It is time that Dawid Kruiper starts listening to the pleas of the residents whom it is expected to serve. For the next few weeks, the DA will collect support for our petition to reopen the civic centre, before organizing a formal handover in conjunction with the community.
It is time to expand access to municipal services that will especially benefit the broader community of places like Progress, Extension, Lemoendraai, Kameelmond, Belview and Morning Glory, and not shrink them.