Library to open after five month closure
The Hercules library is expected to reopen on Monday after being closed down for five months.
Hercules library is set to reopen next week after months of uncertainty.
According to various sources, the library was shut down last year after a dispute between the department of education and Tshwane metro on the handling of partnership payments.
The library, which is located on the Hoërskool Hercules campus was still closed on Wednesday morning but DA Ward Councillor Frik van Wyk said the library will reopen again on Monday.
“Everything has been sorted out between the government, city council and the school so things should go back to normal.
“The agreement between the school and the city council was that the council had to pay the electricity bill while the library is in the school yard. The council didn’t pay for several months which saw the government body close down the library for the public,” he said.
Van Wyk said he had received complaints from residents after the library closed down in November last year.
“I decided to ask Adriana Randall (DA spokesperson on procurement) to help me. She then found that the Gauteng province was supposed to give the money to the council and that did not happen.”
In a media release Randall said the DA in Gauteng put pressure on the Tshwane metro to pay outstanding utilities for the Hercules library.
“The Tshwane council is responsible to pay Hoërskool Hercules by means of a grant allocation which is R5 000 per month for water and electricity. The failure to do so has seen the library closed by the school governing body,” she said.
ANC regional spokesperson Teboho Joala rubbished the DA claims about the Tshwane metro not paying utility bills.
“We are always engaging with the community. Our councillors frequently have meetings with the community and they have discussed the issue before. We are not running away from accountability, we are always available and the people always give us feedback,” Joala said.
A few months ago Hercules residents complained about the closure of the library.
Library user Andile Mngoma earlier told Rekord she used to study at the library because it was quiet. Now she had to study at home because other libraries were too far from her home.
“It is difficult to study at home because there is no privacy,” she said.
Pupil Meagan Smit said her parents spent more money on petrol taking her to other libraries.
“Something needs to be done about this. This is not the first time the library has been closed down because of unpaid electricity bills,” Smit said.
By the time the story went to print, Tshwane metro were yet to comment on the matter.
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