Editor –
I wish to comment on the article on the front page of last week’s Herald.
It is unbelievable that the authorities can even think about rehabilitating the Zulu Cultural Village.
When this idea was originally muted, the plan was to build it in eMondlo. The Democratic Alliance (DA) was strongly opposed to spending so much money on the project and pointed out that for a tourist attraction, the location was completely wrong, as tourists do not normally visit eMondlo. Council was, at that time, controlled by the IFP, who decided that this structure should be built at Klipfontein Dam. Once again, the DA opposed the idea, saying it would be a complete white elephant, as it was in the wrong position – how right they were and R1.6 million went down the drain!
AbaQulusi Municipality were to install water and electricity, but this was never done, as the municipality did not have the money. In 2011, a group of ladies got a grant of R7000 from the government to develop the place into a lodge.
This might have worked, but the ANC Council of the time turned the idea down and the white elephant lived on… being systematically vandalised and laid to waste.
Now we read about this crazy idea to spend R130,000 on developing this place. Do they really think this will draw tourists and what will prevent it from once again being vandalised? Isn’t this just another scheme to line someone’s pocket?
When one looks at the pitiful state of AbaQulusi compared to what it looked like in the year 2000, one wonders how on earth the authorities can even contemplate spending so much money on this senseless idea when our roads are finished, the water reticulation system has packed up, the electricity supply is constantly interrupted, the swimming pool is non-existent, and so one can go on and on… If we want to attract tourists, surely it would be wise to first fix up our failed infrastructure.
Please, people, we must stop this intended waste of taxpayers’ money.
Harry Heyns
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