Durban – Political party the Democratic Liberal Congress (DLC) said service delivery was slackened because of certain people who were unwilling to work effectively.
The Leader of the DLC, Patrick Pillay, made the remark during an eThekwini full council meeting on Thursday while discussions were under way to approve the lease renewal of the Grosvenor Library on the Bluff, south of Durban.
In a report to council, the Community Services Committee (CSC) said a feasibility study was under way with regard to the identification of sites and available options to build libraries on municipal-owned land. The eThekwini full council approved the extension of the lease until December 2025.
The CSC said the library has been on the premises for more than 15 years, was accessible to all patrons in the community and met the requirements for fair and equitable rent.
The premises also accommodate the Library, the District Support Office, a Central Book Mending Workroom, a Cyberzone and the Metro Connect Servers which support business.
The CSC, in motivation, said any relocation will result in the decommissioning and re-installation of IT networks and equipment, dry wall partitioning, equipment and fittings, the cost of which may be fruitless and wasteful expenditure. There was also no budget to build a new library.
Pillay said the DLC supports the extension of lease for this very important institution, Pillay raised an important concern.
“Why did the officials responsible in libraries not plan in advance with regards to conducting a feasibility study and the identification of sites and available municipal-owned land but wait for the end of lease to do so?”
Pillay said we cannot run a city where certain officials are not willing to work for their money, but suddenly wake up and realise that a feasibility study was now required. This, Pillay said, was unacceptable. The DLC called on city officials to investigate the incompetence of the officials.
Daily News