The Lyttelton Community Hall remains in a deeply concerning and deteriorating state a year after the Tshwane Metro said it would renovate the facility following the removal of homeless occupants who had been staying there since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown.

A recent visit to the site found the hall and adjoining rooms neglected and dilapidated, with broken windows, damaged locks, waste and visible deterioration.

Damage to the electrical infrastructure has also left the facility without a functional electricity supply, affecting the main hall, kitchen and offices.

There are currently no signs that the planned renovations have taken place, raising questions about the city’s plans to maintain and restore the municipal facility.

Ward 57 councillor Jack Page said he was not aware of any approved renovation project, specific budget allocation or contractor appointed to carry out the work.

He explained that he had asked the city but had not received clear information on when the work would start or how it would be funded.

The hall is also not currently available for normal community use, with no community functions being held there.

Page noted that the facility could not reasonably fulfil its intended purpose in its current condition.

“The electrical damage was linked to vandalism that occurred while the property was occupied by the homeless community, including damage to electrical outlets and the theft of electrical cabling.”

The city’s plans to renovate the hall followed the removal of homeless occupants in August 2025 after years of disputes over the use of the facility.

At the time, metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the hall had been converted into a temporary shelter for homeless people in March 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The metro and two non-profit organisations provided food and other services, with the arrangement continuing after the lockdown was extended.

Mashigo said Kopano Manyano, an NGO that works with homeless people, later took over management, but occupants remained after the organisation withdrew, leading to a prolonged dispute over their removal.

They were eventually removed on August 19, 2025. The city then said it would renovate the hall, with Group Property expected to assess the work needed, timeline and budget.

However, Page said the lack of progress was now a serious concern and warned that relatively simple maintenance could become substantially more costly if deterioration continued.

“My objective is to see the hall restored to a condition where it can once again serve the community for the purpose for which it was established,” he said.

Rekord approached the City of Tshwane for an update on the planned renovations, but received no comment by the time of publication.

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