R5,5 million municipal project becomes an enormous white elephant

THE multimillion Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality’s Freedom Memorial Precinct, which was earmarked to honour fallen struggle heroes and heroines, is yet to be operational three years after its completion.

The project was funded by the municipal infrastructure grant during the tenure of former mayor Gloria Mudunungu, and there are speculations it would be converted into an indoor sports centre.

During the official opening of the sports facilities at Lulekani Stadium donated by Foskor Mine to the municipality on April 24, acting mayor Sam Malatji said council took a decision to convert the Freedom Memorial Precinct into an indoor sports centre.

Acting municipal spokesperson, Jonas Maheso on Monday said: “We had advertised that interested people must come and do a presentation but it has been stopped due to austerity measures brought forward to us.”

The building is situated next to Mohodu Complex, a place that was best known for being a political ground during the struggle days, where local politicians including the late Norman Mashabane, former MEC and SA ambassador in Indonesia, used to hold secret meetings with leaders like former ANC provincial chairperson and premier Cassel Mathale.

A local company was employed in 2010 to capture and install pictures of fallen heroes and heroines together with their contribution to shaping the political, and socio-economic landscape of the municipality and the country at large.

Close to the building, there is a dilapidated building which used to have a basketball, netball and tennis court, but of late the building is best known as a meeting ground for illicit activities by teenagers.

It was expected that tourists would flock to the place once it was operational creating economic spin-offs for local vendors like Maria Malatji (45). “Business was booming during construction. I was hoping that once it was finished tourists and local people would visit.”