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THE Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC), have spent over R100 million to build and refurbish six libraries in marginalised communities in the Eastern Cape, over the last five years.
This was confirmed by the spokesperson for the MEC of DSRAC, Athule Joka, during the handing over of the Zingcuka Modular Library in Tsolo that will serve all the surrounding schools and communities in that area.
According to the DSRAC MEC, Nonceba Kontsiwe, the department, in collaboration with the OR Tambo District Municipality and Mhlontlo Local Municipality, converted a library which was operational in a container since 2016, to a fully-fledged modular library.
“Community members in the village use libraries to read about starting businesses, farming, livestock, job opportunities, preservation of culture, etc.
“Some of the objectives of the library are that it contributes to improve numeracy and literacy skills, improve academic results, reduce crime, gender-based violence, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, etc.,” said Kontsiwe.
She appealed to the community members of Zingcuka to ensure that they protect the facilities in their area.
“If government is building a school in the area, the community is forced to play a major role and protect it. We do not expect them to demand private security; they should be able to safeguard their own properties that they requested,” she said.
She said they urged the community to take care of the facilities, and make sure that everyone understands the significance of having that particular facility.
Kontsiwe said they are aware that most of the time people vandalise these facilities when they protest, but urged them to know that libraries are not only for books, but they also assist people in making connections.
“Some of the schools do not have wi-fi, so learners get it in these libraries so that they can be able to do their research.”
Chief Librarian of the Mhlontlo Local Municipality, Thozama Msawuli, confirmed that in this municipality they have four libraries, and all of them are operating very well.
According to Msawuli, they have a library in Tsolo town, Qumbu town, Sulenkama locality, and at Zingcuka Village.
She added that the Zingcuka facility used to have books only, but now they have seven computers that will be used by those who are visiting this library to get the information they are looking for.
“What is important about this locality is that it has old people who are always willing to get more information, some about farming and other things.
“Even though we have learners who are also coming to it, most of the time it is the old people who are always showing interest,” said Msawuli.
She added that as the librarians they have a responsibility to teach communities about the importance of these facilities, so that they should have knowledge about them.
Msawuli said that if community members do not burn clinics when they want service delivery, surely they cannot vandalise libraries because they are also important.
She appealed to learners to ensure that they use these libraries, so that they can expand their knowledge.
“We have a problem of learners who do not know how to choose their careers, but if they visit our libraries and talk to librarians, they can get what they are looking for.
“We are also assisting them, especially Grade 12 learners, by printing previous question papers and memos in all of our centres.”
