Sarah Baartman Centre still incomplete and over budget
The people of Hankey were promised thousands of jobs by the ANC government through the construction of the Sarah Baartman Remembrance Centre.
Instead, five years down the line, the costs have ballooned from R165 million to more than R200 million.
Very little has come of the construction jobs for locals as promised. The 134 full-time employment opportunities at the Centre, on project completion, are currently nothing more than pipe dreams.
“Last week I was accompanied by DA Councillor, Henni Britz, during an oversight inspection at the Centre, and found little more than a construction site,” said Samantha Graham-Maré, the DA Deputy Shadow Minister of Public Works.
“Poor planning, and even worse workmanship, have resulted in zero benefits for the people of Hankey from this government project that is being built by the National Department of Public Works on behalf of the Department of Arts and Culture,” added Mare…
The completion of the Centre, which started in April 2014, has now been delayed several times. An initial completion date of October 2016 was given, which was then extended to March 2019. More than a year and a half later, and the Centre is still far from complete.
A change of contractors, and worker unrest due to non-payment, have also put spokes in the wheels of this project.
It is unclear when the project will actually be completed. In the meantime, tourism assets like the sundial remain compromised as visitors are unable to access it.