R160 million Walter Sisulu Square a crumbling monument to waste

A tribute to those who helped birth a free South Africa is a shell of shattered potential.

The Walter Sisulu Square in the heart of Kliptown was meant to serve as a living memorial to those who formulated the Freedom Charter.

Built at a cost of R160 million and opened in 2005 by then-President Thabo Mbeki, the site is a combination of rubble, scrap and weeds.

The courtyard of Walter Sisulu Square. Picture: Pieter Potgieter.

Shadow MEC conducts site visit

The square, which features an open-air museum and multiple artworks, falls under the custodianship of Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) and the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation.

A Democratic Alliance (DA) contingent ramped up their inspection of publicly funded facilities and documented the derelict state of the square.

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DA Shadow Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Kingsol Chabalala’s party found the facility without running water or electricity supply, with much of the fixtures having been stripped.

“The businesses that once operated in the stalls have been shut down, and the facility has become a haven for drug users,” stated Chabalala

“This facility, which previously housed important South African historical artefacts, a clinic, a post office, and a licensing department, is no longer operational,” he added.

The areas facing the street were severely vandalised. Picture: Pieter Potgieter.

Refurbishment plan underway

However, the situation has not gone unnoticed by the government departments.

JPC spokesperson Lucky Sindane confirmed to The Citizen that a tender process has been concluded to source contractors to carry out a refurbishment of the site.

He called for those who live near the square to play a role in safeguarding the infrastructure, noting JPC had encountered high volumes of theft and vandalism from their assets in the area.  

“We would like the community to work with us. People cannot vandalise our property and those who witness such acts must report the matter to authorities,” said Sindane.

“The community must help take responsibility and take ownership of the square,” he added.

As the adjudication process was still underway, Sindane was not in a position to divulge how much would be spent on the refurbishment.

Suites upstairs lack ceiling boards. Picture: Pieter Potgieter.

Calls for MEC to fast-track plan

The DA has been monitoring the site’s condition since 2020 and Chabalala called on the provincial department MEC Matome Chiloane to fast-track the refurbishment plan.

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The MEC’s office was contacted by The Citizen on Monday and Wednesday this week, but no response had been received at the time of publication.

“The MEC needs to improve security around these facilities to ensure that they are well protected and ensure that they are fully operational,” Chabalala told The Citizen.

“The department also needs to ensure continuous proper maintenance on such facilities because without such their state continues to deteriorate,” concluded.

Ablution facilities stripped of all the fixtures. Picture: Pieter Potgieter.

Comparisons to Sarah Baartman centre

The situation in Kliptown draws comparisons to the Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance in Hankey in the Eastern Cape.

Work on the project began in 2014 but only 37% of the project has been completed due to multiple delays.

Ministers of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson and Sport, Art, Culture and Recreation Gayton McKenzie have spoken on the need to find a solution.

“For too long, implementing agents have spent millions on memorial projects just for the projects to remain incomplete or fall into a state of disrepair,” stated Macpherson.

“This era of this fruitless expenditure has to come to an end, and I know that both Minister McKenzie and I are committed to achieving this goal,” he concluded.