The national government is trying to mend fences with the AbaThembu royal house caused by disagreements between jailed king Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo and the provincial government.
The royal house and national government want to finish building a multimillion-rand arts and culture centre at Bumbane Great Place near Mthatha.
The Bumbane Art Centre was left incomplete due to disagreements between the provincial government, the builder and King Dalindyebo, who is now serving a 12-year jail term. It was later damaged by boys throwing stones at birds.
The national Arts and Culture Department is now willing to complete the building.
On Friday Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Makhotso Maggie Sotyu visited Bumbane Great Place and met AbaThembu acting king Azenathi Dalindyebo, his council and AbaThembu National Heritage Council chairman Professor Malusi Balintulo and Walter Sisulu University senior management.
“We are here to see the centre. We are still investigating why the building was stopped. We are looking at having the art centre built and finished. In the next three weeks we will know when building will resume,” said Sotyu.
The Dispatch visited the thatched roofed centre and saw the damage.
Toilets seats are smashed, electric wires stolen and all the windows and doors damaged.
But the walls and roof are still standing.
The acting king’s spokesman, Nkosi Dumisani Mgudlwa, said building stopped in 2014 after a disagreement between the provincial sports, recreation, arts and culture department, King Zwelibanzi and the builder, who left.
“We are happy that Deputy Minister Sotyu came to mend relations.
“We think this is the start of a process of reviving relations between the AbaThembu royal house, the King Sabata Dalindyebo local municipality, the OR Tambo district municipality, the provincial and national government. “We all need each other,” said Mgudlwa.
Acing king Azenathi Dalindyebo said the art centre was needed badly in the area of Mthatha, not only in Bumbane.
“When the art centre is up and running it will assist in developing the skills of our people, especially the youth. It will create job opportunities in our areas.
“We have various artists in different forms. We are happy that the deputy minister is also promising to ensure that the art work will be marketed across the country and across South African borders,” said Dalindyebo.
Bumbane art centre project mends fences
The royal house and national government want to finish building a multimillion-rand arts and culture centre at Bumbane Great Place near Mthatha.
The Bumbane Art Centre was left incomplete due to disagreements between the provincial government, the builder and King Dalindyebo, who is now serving a 12-year jail term. It was later damaged by boys throwing stones at birds.
The national Arts and Culture Department is now willing to complete the building.
On Friday Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Makhotso Maggie Sotyu visited Bumbane Great Place and met AbaThembu acting king Azenathi Dalindyebo, his council and AbaThembu National Heritage Council chairman Professor Malusi Balintulo and Walter Sisulu University senior management.
“We are here to see the centre. We are still investigating why the building was stopped. We are looking at having the art centre built and finished. In the next three weeks we will know when building will resume,” said Sotyu.
The Dispatch visited the thatched roofed centre and saw the damage.
Toilets seats are smashed, electric wires stolen and all the windows and doors damaged.
But the walls and roof are still standing.
The acting king’s spokesman, Nkosi Dumisani Mgudlwa, said building stopped in 2014 after a disagreement between the provincial sports, recreation, arts and culture department, King Zwelibanzi and the builder, who left.
“We are happy that Deputy Minister Sotyu came to mend relations.
“We think this is the start of a process of reviving relations between the AbaThembu royal house, the King Sabata Dalindyebo local municipality, the OR Tambo district municipality, the provincial and national government. “We all need each other,” said Mgudlwa.
Acing king Azenathi Dalindyebo said the art centre was needed badly in the area of Mthatha, not only in Bumbane.
“When the art centre is up and running it will assist in developing the skills of our people, especially the youth. It will create job opportunities in our areas.
“We have various artists in different forms. We are happy that the deputy minister is also promising to ensure that the art work will be marketed across the country and across South African borders,” said Dalindyebo.
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