The Chintsa East community is up in arms over a newly built cultural centre whose doors remain closed due to a dispute between the local council and the contractor.

The contractor, Ntsikelelo Rulashe, quit the project in February after the municipality decided not to pay him the remaining balance for alleged unsatisfactory work.

The centre, which cost R507,000, has been locked since then while the crafters in the area need a place to work and sell their craft.

Rulashe claims the municipality still owed him about R189,000.

When the Daily Dispatch visited the centre it had been vandalised with two lights missing and a small crack in one wall. Electricity had also not been installed.

Project co-ordinator and ward committee member Zolile Payiya said the feud between the two parties had hurt development in the area.

"We have many crafters but they can't go anywhere to improve their skills. We could have increased the number of tourists in the area by making more artworks," he said.

Payiya said their dream of developing the centre into an African cuisine restaurant, conference facility and bed-and-breakfast had been ditched.

"I'm disappointed because I have been working on getting the centre for five years, only to see it fail at the last moment."

Chintsa East's township has no community hall and the only school in the area is used for community meetings and as a grant payout point.

Residents say the centre could have taken pressure off the school.

A local crafter, Nolele Zegefu, 51, said they had to sell their crafts at the beach and hide their goods in the bushes because of the unavailability of a storeroom.

Resident Lyn Crawford said two computers and a printer donated to the centre were gathering dust in her office.

"We can't use them. Even crafters have given up. It's nonsense that the centre cannot be opened because of one crack. They (municipal officials) spend money on overseas trips but can't even support their people."

Great Kei municipality spokesperson Oxley Ngqele said they would only pay Rulashe once he finished the job, which he said was 98% complete. He urged the community to be patient

Daily Dispatch
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge