The R13 million library in Orange Farm: A year of unfulfilled promises

IOL News

04-06-2025

The Drieziek Community Library has not seen opened its doors to the community since it was officially inaugurated by the Gauteng provincial government over a year ago.
Image: Supplied
A state-of-the-art R13 million public library in Drieziek, south of Johannesburg, opened by the Gauteng provincial government five days before the May 2024 national and provincial elections, remains unused.
This emerged this week in correspondence sent by DA member of the Gauteng provincial legislature, Kingsol Chabalala, to the province's Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC Matome Chiloane, demanding that the abandoned facility in Orange Farm be finally opened.
Inside the Drieziek Community Library in Orange Farm.
Image: Supplied
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Chabalala said construction of the library started in February 2014, with a total cost of over R13m.
Chiloane's predecessor as Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC, Morakane Mosupyoe, who is now the speaker of the Gauteng provincial legislature, on May 24, 2024, officially opened the library five days before last year's elections on May 29.
The DA is demanding answers on why the Drieziek Community Library has still not opened a year later.
Image: Supplied
It was scheduled to open to the public on May 27 and offer lending services (print and online), reference service and research support, study space and support with access to dedicated study areas and programme implementation, including reading development programmes such as the Battle of the Books and the Story Skirmish starting from July last year.
Other promised offerings included e-learning programmes such as digital skills and basic coding for children of all ages, children's services, including homework assistance, story hours, and holiday programmes, as well as photocopying services.
The Drieziek library was also meant to fulfil various community-centred roles, such as a community centre, which would be a place for learning, socialising, meetings, business, research, and education for children.
There would be an entertainment space offering fiction, audiobooks, and online resources for community enjoyment, an empowerment centre providing digital skills training, reading and learning skills, and assistance with online job applications.
Other services were a knowledge and information centre supporting lifelong learning through various print and online resources, an education space encouraging quiet reading, learning and research, and community discussions.
However, Chabalala complained that a year later, it remains inaccessible and unbeneficial to Orange Farm residents, while funds are wasted on security and maintenance.
He said that when the provincial legislature's Portfolio Committee on Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation conducted an unannounced oversight visit on May 21 this year, members found only a security guard present.
'The DA has tabled questions in the legislature to Chiloane, to determine why this facility is closed to the public and inquire about the amount spent on security and maintenance,' said Chabalala, adding that residents were frustrated because they must commute to nearby townships to access libraries while their own is gathering dust.