IN the article that appeared in Paarl Post of 17 July titled “Smallest public library in the Cape, the ‘Library Member’ insinuated that “our municipality refuses to replace and update this derelict, inadequate and inaccessible amenity for our taxpayers and learners”.
The story is defective of many facts, and these need to be addressed.
It is a fact that Drakenstein Municipality is the largest B Municipality in the Western Cape. What this amounts to is that outside Cape Town as the Metro, Drakenstein is the largest local authority in the Western Cape. This is not boasting, but a hard fact.
Providing for library services is not a competency of a local authority. It is one of the unfunded mandates that local authorities found themselves faced with.
This is a function of Provincial Government. As a matter of fact many local authorities make it a point of staying away from unfunded mandates.
In the event that a certain local authority, like in our case, decides to play a role in unfunded mandates, it becomes a bonus to its citizens.
The resolution by Drakenstein Municipality to continue to participate in the provision of these services needs to be hailed.
That decision must have come by solely because the leaders of the municipality have the best interest of its citizens at heart.
If 50 years from 1967 the number of the members of Mill Street Library has grown from 1000 to 65481. Then that must be due to the culture that this local municipality has succeeded to bring in amongst its citizens.
Drakenstein Municipality will continue to nurture the interest in the use of libraries by its citizenry even though it is not its primary function to do so.
The growth of the number of libraries to different communities in Drakenstein is a testimony of its commitment to provide the library services to all its citizens.
That includes those areas in Drakenstein that did not have libraries before 1967. We now have fully operational libraries in Mbekweni, Paarl East, Wellington, Gouda and recently Saron.
On top of that Drakenstein Municipality has expanded the services by providing six satellite libraries in even more rural areas.
This is what the largest local municipality in the Western Cape has done in its quest to serve its citizens.
Dr Sidima Kabanyane
Drakenstein Municipal Manager
