Community building turns into a white elephant
“The ‘hungry’ criminals are looking for anything they can sell at the scrap yard.”
BOPHELONG. – The Bophelong Day Care Centre (ECD) commonly known as the ‘Old Age Home’ has sadly stood dormant and empty since its opening in 2019. The once beautiful centre, is now a white elephant. It was officially opened by former Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Nandi Mayathula-Khoza and has been guarded by security guards ever since. The empty building in Bophelong opposite Muvhango, Extension 17 has become a hotspot for thugs who steal light fitting, electric cables and other materials from the vacant rooms and offices. They have been stopped by the heavy presence of security guards on numerous occasions. Thieves have jumped the fences from behind to gain access while the security is tight only at the main gate.
At the time Sedibeng Ster arrived recently, windows were already broken and electric cables stolen. Outside the yard is a dump site the size of a soccer field, providing a good escape for the thieves. Members of the community living around the building said if it was not for the security personnel, this building would have been down already. “The ‘hungry’ criminals are looking for anything they can sell at the scrap yard.” The office of the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) MMC for Social Development has since promised Sedibeng Ster a comment about the building.
