Skelm teer sy pad terug selle toe
‘n Ou skelm het Maandag spreekwoordelik in die leeu se bek ingestap toe hy ‘n...
‘n Splinternuwe Sateliet-biblioteek is verlede Maandag in Eluxolweni deur die Wes-Kaapse Minister van Kulturele Sake en Sport, min Anroux Marais, en die Overstrandse Uitvoerende Burgemeester, Raadsdame Nicolette Botha-Guthrie, geopen. Raadsdame Botha-Guthrie het gesê dat ongeveer 3 jaar gelede, kort nadat die biblioteek in die nabygeleë Buffeljachts woongebied oopgestel is, die Overstrand Munisipale Raad ‘n besoek aan die Eluxolweni woongebied gebring het. Die ongeveer 1,500 inwoners van Eluxolweni het hul behoefte aan ‘n openbare biblioteek onder haar aandag gebring en sy het haarself tot die bevrediging van die behoefte verbind. Alles is toe in die stryd gewerp om ‘n biblioteekdiens aan hierdie gediversifiseerde woongebied, waar ongeveer 70% Xhosa sprekende persone en 30% Afrikaanssprekende persone woonagtig is, te voorsien. The community need was included in the IDP. In the following year (2014/15) an amount of R70,000.00 was provided in the Capital Budget as a ward specific project for Ward 11. An opportunity for obtaining land for construction of a library building was identified. The RDP house on Erf 1900 that was almost completely destroyed during a fire in 2005 was unoccupied for almost a decade and the remains actually posed a health and safety risk for the local residents. As the municipal accounts on that property were in arrears, negotiations were started and an agreement was reached to hand back the property to the municipality. Ownership of the property was passed onto the Overstrand municipality during March 2015. The construction of the library building of approximately 24m2 started on 1 April 2015, was managed by the Area Manager, Mr Kat Myburgh and was completed within the budget by the end of June 2015. Daar was ongelukkig nie fondse beskikbaar vir die aankoop van meubels, toerusting en rakke vir die biblioteekboeke nie. Die Uitvoerende Burgemeester het in gesprek getree met mnr Frik Rademan, Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte van AVBOB in Pretoria. Die gevolg daarvan was dat AVBOB op 14 Julie 2015 tydens ‘n glansryke geleentheid meubels, toerusting, blindings en ‘n naambord vir die biblioteek teen ‘n totale waarde van R20,000, tydens hul jaarlikse Mandeladag feesvieringe, aan die Munisipaliteit Overstrand oorhandig het. Die Ministerie van Kultuursake en Sport in die Wes-Kaap was van meet af aan toegewyd en entoesiasties om ‘n biblioteekdiens nader aan die inwoners van Eluxolweni te bring en het ingewillig om die biblioteek toe te rus. Minstens 3,000 boeke is intussen op die rakke geplaas vir gebruik deur die inwoners van Eluxolweni. Die biblioteekmateriaal is van die Streekbiblioteek in Worcester na Eluxolweni versprei. The temporary appointment of a local resident, Jeanette Xanini who will act as the first Library Assistant of the Eluxolweni Library, was appreciated by the local community. Her appointment is currently financed from the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) award allocated to the Overstrand Municipality. This interim arrangement will change with effect from 1 March 2016 when the position will be funded by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (Western Cape). “The process to extend the size of the library in the near future has already started. The good news is that the Provincial Library Services has already approved the application of the Overstrand Municipality to install computer equipment at the library.” Minister Marais het in haar toespraak daarop klem gelê dat die bevordering van lees ‘n kritiese belangrike deel van Suid-Afrikaanse ontwikkeling uitmaak en dat biblioteke lees en leer bevorder en navorsing het getoon dat die gebruik van openbare biblioteke tot verbeterde opvoedkundige uitkomste en prestasievlakke kan lei. Die gebruik van die dienste by ons biblioteke dra ook by tot verhoogde vlakke van geletterdheid en inligtingsbevoegdheid.”
Francois de Jongh
