WATCH: Town hall repairable – DA

The Benoni Town Hall only needs cosmetic repairs inside and minor structural upgrades to get it back to what it was.

That was the view of concerned resident Les Godwin who, and the DA’s members of the Sports, Heritage, Recreation, Arts and Culture (SHRAC) committee, conducted an oversight visit at the hall on June 22 to assess the building’s condition after years of neglect.

The visit was due to Benoni City Times’ Facebook live video documenting the facility’s state during an impromptu visit on June 7. The video received good responses from our readers.

Besides the damage to the interior, which includes peeling paint, damaged doors and windows, broken seats in the main gallery and dirty bathrooms because of a lack of water in the building, Godwin said it would not be difficult to fix the facility.

“It certainly can be fixed,” said Godwin. “It’s a lovely hall with beautiful features. It’s exciting to bring it back to life.”

Godwin said the hall could have generated income for the CoE in the 10 years it’s been unused, and if rented out, it would pay for its upkeep.

He said the hall’s state and the neglected garden, where he had his wedding photos taken, saddened him, but he was encouraged by the public’s sentiment to have it repaired and operational.

“It’s worth fixing, not only for its history but for everybody to use. No matter where you come from, it could be put to good use. Having seen it now, I could see an exciting opportunity.”

Godwin called for a public-private partnership where the CoE and Benonians would work together to maintain the facility.

“The funds don’t all have to come from the municipality. There’s enough sentiment out there from big business to fix this place. There is a possibility of a public-private partnership where council and the public are involved, and they raise funds,” he said.

The DA’s PR councillor in Ekurhuleni, Michael da Silva, shared Godwin’s sentiments, saying the facility did not have serious damage.

Da Silva said the visit was helpful, and he was confident the hall was fixable. He said they would appeal to the CoE to join hands with the public and stakeholders to get the facility up and running.

“I feel sad mainly because the facility is under-maintained. It needs cosmetic upgrades and some tender loving care.

“What’s important for us is for the public and council to work together to get the facility back up,” said Da Silva.

He said he supported the idea of the public being granted access to public spaces and empowered to look after them.

“The more you empower communities, the better the facilities look. But when these spaces are abandoned and unused, they break down, leading to public frustration.”

Da Silva said he felt neglect had caused the building to deteriorate despite the municipality’s budgetary constraints.

“The principles of good governance must be observed to ensure facilities in the city are well-maintained. Facilities such as stadiums and halls need to be rented to tenants, who will be in charge of the daily maintenance. Communities also need to be involved in the care of these facilities.”

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