A report presented to the parliament’s portfolio committee has been dismissed by the ministers of public works and infrastructure, as well as sports, arts, and culture, Dean Macpherson and Gayton McKenzie.
The report by the representatives of the two departments gave an update on the construction of the Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance.
The centre is a memorial heritage site to be located in Hankey, Eastern Cape.
The project has incurred costs exceeding R500-million due to costly delays. Three contractors have worked on the project, and after 10 years of construction, only 37% of it is finished.
Cassiday Rangata-Jacobs, McKenzie spokesperson, said he had expressed concerns on the delayed construction and has requested a full briefing on the matter.
All of the key players are expected to attend the briefing, and the minister, who is presently in Russia, is adamant about going to the location in person.
McKenzie voices his disappointment
“He [McKenzie] is disappointed with the whole report and the project as a whole,” said Rangata-Jacobs.
Macpherson reported that he and McKenzie had discussed the situation and decided that the current state of progress was insufficient.
They came to the conclusion that in order to make sure that no more money was lost on this project, they had to act decisively.
He emphasised that addressing any issues and developing a common goal for finishing the project as soon as possible will be discussed with McKenzie.
This approach could potentially yield resolutions that could be implemented in other memorial initiatives across South Africa.
He claimed that their departments had neglected to provide them with a briefing on the report that was submitted to the parliament’s portfolio committee.
Macpherson continued, expressing their frustration that after 10 years of construction, none of the three contractors had finished at least half of the project.
South Africa’s painful past
“The life of Sarah Baartman remains an important reminder of our painful past, and it is therefore imperative that we give her the respect and dignity she deserves,” said Macpherson.
“However, the work that has been done at the Remembrance Centre this far fails to honour her memory and has instead become a problem that continues to cost taxpayers millions.
“This simply must end.”
He declared that the days of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure funding memorial projects that never come to pass were long gone.
This was an unnecessary expense, Macpherson said, noting that he believes that together with McKenzie they have the same idea about what needs to be done.
