Fochville’s Civic Centre, which was once this town’s pride and joy, is currently in an appalling state.
The Herald has recently received several complaints about the condition of the facility.
When we paid a visit on Monday, one could see that it had not been painted in years. Fine cracks
could be seen in the plaster on several parts of the building. The paintwork has been discoloured by cracks and
stains. It looked as if someone had made a fire near the entrance as the wall was blackened and patches of
plaster had fallen off.
Someone had dumped a damaged wooden counter near the side of the facility, which was strewn with litter.
The grass appeared to have been cut haphazardly and tufts of longer grass could be seen, especially towards the
side of the building.
‘‘The civic centre is a disgrace. There are many broken windows and water leaks inside that are not being fixed.
Although the municipality says the residents of Fochville are some of the best ratepayers in Merafong, they do
not seem to be giving the infrastructure in this town the necessary attention,’ lamented Mr Macist Ndubatha, the chairman of Sanco’s (The South African National Civic Organisation) Fochville branch.
A councillor from this town, Ms Annett Venter, has previously complained to the Herald about the rubbish strewn
all over the civic centre that appears to have been thrown there by employees and never picked up.
‘Is this the example the municipality is setting for residents?’ she fumed.
The Herald asked the Merafong City Local Municipality about the state of the civic centre on Tuesday.
‘The cleaning and maintenance of the Fochville Civic Centre is part of the overall maintenance plan of all municipal
buildings.
The plan is implemented pending the availability of resources.
However, there is a facility caretaker there to ensure that it is cleaned on a daily basis.
‘The grass cutting cycle around the Fochville area will resume in the coming week and the civic centre has been prioritised.
The yard will be cleaned at the same time,’ a municipal spokesperson replied.
