IN the impressive and colourful Drakenstein Newsletter distributed by the Municipality titled ‘Paarl South Africa 2010’, I was thrilled to read that the municipal manager, Dr Khabanyane, boasted that Paarl “was the largest municipality (after Cape Town) in the Western Cape”.
Can you imagine the shock of the expected multitude of overseas and privileged African visitors when they enquire after, and subsequently visit our ‘public library’ in Paarl?
Whilst being prepared to fork out millions for a very limited period to entertain visitors in 2010, our Municipality refuses to replace and update this derelict, inadequate and inaccessible amenity for our taxpayers and learners.
This building in Mill Street was granted to the Paarl Public in 1967 as ‘temporary facility’, when it had 1000 members and 10 000 books.
Now, 50 years later it has 65 481 books and 16 996 members in the same cramped space! What a disgrace for the ‘largest municipality’ after Cape Town.
