Cadres can’t fix Johannesburg’s central library

Johannesburg’s central library, an iconic asset in our wannabe worldclass city, will not survive if those entrusted with its care remain in charge.

Private initiatives and/or political changes are our best hopes.

The landmark has been closed since 24 May, 2021, after being briefly reopened, following the Covid lockdown.

Don’t expect it to be functioning optimally soon.

On X, the city says the reopening “is anticipated to be in the 2024-25 financial year, should adequate budget be made available for fire safety compliance …”

ALSO READ: R23 million Joburg library still closed after three years

Budget is key. The broke city cannot afford the additional R45 million that officials say is required to render the building compliant.

Before you rush out soliciting donations, note who is running the city.

What is their track record of fixing anything? Joburg, like much of South Africa, is being ruined by cadres who could scarcely run a bath. All state-owned enterprises and most municipalities are in a shambles.

It’s the curse of the cadres.

Everything they touch is doomed.

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From Eskom to our log-jammed ports, vanishing railways, potholed roads, to dysfunctional hospitals, schools and much else, there’s nothing which deployed cadres can’t mess up.

Having sat on a few committees, I have some limited insight into the ruination process.

On Monday, the city said the Joburg Development Agency (JDA) in 2021 “appointed a contractor to undertake the remedial works pertaining to the leaks and some fire aspects against the available budget at the time”. Groan.

JDA projects follow a pattern: a contractor is appointed via an opaque process, where socalled bid adjudication committees hold sway.

These committees routinely fail to establish whether the contractor has the expertise, experience and financial wherewithal to carry out the task.

ALSO READ: City of Joburg extends library hours to Sundays

Sooner or later, the project grinds to halt. The contractor walks away with millions and is nominally blacklisted.

Someone else takes over the job, costing city ratepayers more than anticipated.

I do not have faith that the JDA will complete the necessary work on time, within budget, to a high enough standard.

This library saga also takes place against a background where there are suspicions about people at the Joburg Property Company making money out of the forced closure of much of the metro centre.

Too many council people cannot be trusted with repairing and renovating the library professionally, on time and within budget.

ALSO READ: Randburg public library gets much-needed makeover

So, eyebrows are raised when we councillors are subjected to e-mail campaigners declaring: “I would like to know what role you plan to play in the reopening of this invaluable resource. Organisations like (ours) are actively reaching out to local government to look for solutions.”

Look elsewhere.

Local government in its current form is incapable of fixing the library.

That’s one of the reasons we want council dissolved.

Fresh elections are our best hope.

ALSO READ: Estimated 60 libraries closed down in past 5 years in SA

The Johannesburg library, in its many iterations, was not always dependent on government.

The library first opened in June 1890, after a group of prominent Johannesburg residents formed a committee to raise funds, find a building and order books.

A similar spirit will be required to rescue the library.

At least until the cadres are ousted.