Note to Editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Cllr Ian Riddle, Afrikaans soundbite by Werner Pretorius MPL, and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng. See attached pictures here, here, here, and here.
The DA calls on the Mohokare Municipality to invest and maintain local infrastructure, as the historic town halls in Smithfield and Rouxville have suffered years of neglect by the ANC. The Smithfield Town Hall, built in 1925, and the Rouxville Town Hall, dating back to 1901, have both deteriorated significantly under the ANC-led municipality, rendering them mostly unusable.
A lack of maintenance has led to the Rouxville Town Hall being barricaded with corrugated iron sheets, broken windows, and non-functional toilets.
Ongoing water damage from a neglected roof has further contributed to its decline. Previously, the hall served as a polling station and community venue for various events and functions.
A lack of maintenance has led to the Rouxville Town Hall being barricaded with corrugated iron sheets, broken windows, and non-functional toilets. See photos here, here and here. Ongoing water damage from a neglected roof has further contributed to its decline. Previously, the hall served as a polling station and community venue for various events and functions.
Due to its present state, the voting station has been relocated to a local school. Despite staff being assigned to clean and maintain the building, poor supervision and a lack of pride are evident.
The Smithfield Town Hall is in a similarly poor condition. With no security on site, the back door has remained open for over a year, allowing vagrants and thieves to enter freely. Paint peels from the walls, the roof leaks, and hardened bags of cement lie scattered around the building.
Once a source of pride and a venue for community events such as weddings, the hall is now unusable.
While residents have made efforts to keep their towns clean and attractive, the ANC-run council’s neglect has allowed these valuable assets to fall into ruin.
This nonchalant attitude undermines the potential for investment and much-needed job creation.
We will continue to urge the council to invest in local infrastructure, emphasising the need for proper maintenance to improve prospects for residents and voters.