What was once a proud community venue has become a hotspot for vandalism and theft. Since the Standerton Advertiser’s last visit to the Walter Kinnear Centre in July, the building has taken a turn for the worse.

Previously, the building had fallen into disrepair, with most of the furniture, glassware, utensils, and equipment having gone missing.

During a fact-finding mission with Clr Deon Bekker of the DA, we found that the building’s condition has worsened significantly over the past seven months.

“After our first visit, a safety gate was installed to deter vandals and criminals from entering the building,” explained Bekker.

However, this proved to be a futile attempt as a side window had been knocked out, granting access to the building.

Electrical cables have been stolen from the premises, roof panels have caved in, and the already deteriorating state has worsened since the initial visit.

Furthermore, wash basins have been ripped out of the bathroom and lie broken and scattered over the floor. Faeces, empty liquor bottles, cigarette packs and other pieces of debris litter the floor.

It appears as though vagrants have made their home in the old kitchen area of the building. The few chairs left in the building have been broken to make a makeshift bed from the cushions.

During our visit, it appeared that the building had no security guard on duty to deter trespassers. The state of the building indicates that there has not been any security staff for some time.

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In a previous statement, Bekker said that this building is one of many examples of how the municipality’s lack of maintenance is costing them money, as a perfectly equipped venue for meetings is left to rot while the municipality has to rent other venues at high cost.

According to Lubabalo Majenge, spokesperson for the Lekwa Local Municipality, the building has fallen into disrepair due to the renter’s failure to honour the terms and conditions of the development agreement.

“As a result of this non-compliance, the lease agreement is currently in the process of being terminated,” stated Majenge.

He stated that once this is achieved, a new developer will be expected to improve the building in line with its historical properties.

According to Majenge, the intention is to ensure that the property contributes to the broader development objectives of the area in a meaningful way.