DA calls for answers as 60 000 KZN library books are found undistributed since 2019
20 October 2021
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) again calls on Premier, Sihle Zikalala to remove Arts and Culture MEC, Hlengiwe Mavimbela - this time following the discovery that 60 000 books, destined for libraries across the province, have been sitting gathering dust at the Head Office for Library Services since 2019. (view here and here)
The DA is deeply disappointed by this latest finding in a series of blunders by the Department. Earlier this year, we raised concerns around library books following the finding that many facilities had not received any new reading material for as long as three years.
The worst part is that most of the books lying in storage are school set books, which have now become redundant and outdated and cannot be used.
The call for the MECs dismissal also comes amid ongoing concern that library book funds, allocated as part of KZN’s Department of Arts and Culture (DoAC) budget, during the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 financial years, have been misused.