Capricorn District Municipality (CDM) is determined to breathe new life into the Motumo Trading Post project next to the N1 at Botlokwa, despite claims that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (SAC) intends to revitalise the project and erect a statue of Charlotte Maxeke on the site.
Following an indication of SAC’s intentions in this regard as mentioned in former MEC Onicca Moloi’s 2018/19 budget speech in the Provincial Legislature, Democratic Alliance (DA) MPL, Katlego Phala tabled a motion on 30 August raising concerns about further spending on an asset that is dilapidated and will, according to Phala, be a white elephant. Phala’s concerns were amplified by the fact that there is still confusion about the ownership of the land and that the DA reckons that the project is not viable and that the money should rather be used to fund other programmes within the department. Claims by the DA that the facility is built on top of graves of Motumo people that allegedly lived there during the 1800s, further contributes to the controversy.
Phala told Polokwane Observer that a recent oversight visit to the facility revealed it to be totally dilapidated, following more than one incident when the thatch roofs were gutted by fire. “There is nothing to be taken over,” Phala reckoned.
In response to the motion, CDM Communications Manager, Jabu Masondo said that Motumo Trading Post was initiated in 2003 and developed further by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in 2006. A few years after its launch, ownership challenges emerged and the traditional council wanted to be part of the running of the project. CDM then approached the department to have it transferred to the district for the benefit of all interested parties.
This was a long drawn-out process and as a result, the security became compromised and the property suffered from vandalism and malicious damage,” Masondo said and added that, when CDM took over the ownership from national department, the property was already in a dire state and thus needed refurbishments.
CDM then made significant advances in 2009/10 to refurbish the site but due to limited funding, the site could not get a total overhaul as it was initially intended.
“That the facility was built on graves from the 19th century is a sensitive allegation by the DA and they should shed more light on this with some evidence that could assist CDM, Sanral, Department of Public Works, Machaka Traditional Authority and all affected stakeholders in revisiting that history for a determination,” Masondo stated.
According to him, there is no dispute about ownership.
“It was only uncovered during a feasibility study that there was no clarity on which portion belonged to which organ of state. CDM then resolved to obtain rights from the Department of Public Works in view of developing and managing the project. In the process of that, the facility caught fire early this year and presented serious setbacks.
“However, CDM is still determined to breathe new life into the facility so it can live up to its original objectives for small enterprises to showcase their tourism products for sound local economic development in Botlokwa,” Masondo concluded.
Comment from SAC Spokesperson, Kola Maila, was awaited at the time of going to print.
Story: BARRY VILJOEN
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