The long-awaited Saarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance in Hankey, Eastern Cape, remains incomplete, ten years after construction began and at a staggering cost of over R200 million. The Ministers of Public Works and Infrastructure, along with Sports, Arts, and Culture, recently rejected a report presented to Parliament’s Sport, Arts, and Culture Portfolio Committee, citing serious concerns over the project’s delays and escalating costs.
Major Delays and Rising Costs
Initially valued at R168 million, the project was meant to begin on 14 April 2014, with an expected completion date of 14 October 2016. The contract was awarded to Lubbe Construction, and the project aimed to develop a variety of facilities, including classrooms, a museum, a multi-purpose hall, a reading room, dormitories, a restaurant, and an upgraded roadway to the burial site of Saarah Baartman, a prominent figure whose legacy speaks to the painful past of South Africa.
However, Lubbe Construction soon faced severe cashflow issues, resulting in delays. Ten months into the project, Lubbe passed the responsibility to another contractor, Transtruct Building and Civil Contractors. By this time, the project cost had ballooned to R189 million, with the revised completion date set for October 2018.
Despite the new contractor’s efforts, additional delays ensued. Costs spiralled further due to a range of issues, including remedial works needed for substandard construction, payment claim disputes, the impact of Covid-19 lockdown regulations, inclement weather, community unrest, and strikes. By the time Transtruct terminated their contract in July 2021, the bill had soared to R225 million, and the project was still far from completion.
Unresolved Issues and a Third Contractor
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has since struggled to find a new contractor. A third contractor recently issued a notice of termination after further payment delays. The situation remains dire, with the project now only 37% complete, and there is no contractor currently assigned to finish the work.
Ministerial Response and the Way Forward
In a joint statement, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson and Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie expressed deep dissatisfaction with the lack of progress on the project. Macpherson remarked, “Despite three contractors being involved over a period of 10 years, the project is not even halfway done.” He further noted that the incomplete Centre fails to honour the memory of Saarah Baartman, whose life serves as an enduring symbol of South Africa’s painful history.
Macpherson emphasised that taxpayer money has been wasted, and he vowed to put an end to such fruitless expenditures. A meeting with Minister McKenzie is set to address the concerns and discuss ways to complete the project in the shortest possible timeframe.
A Call to End Fruitless Expenditure
For many, the delays and cost overruns of the Saarah Baartman Centre reflect broader issues within South Africa’s public works projects. Macpherson pointed to a trend of memorial projects either being left incomplete or falling into disrepair after vast sums have been spent. “This era of fruitless expenditure must come to an end,” he stated, calling for greater accountability and efficiency in such initiatives.
The hope is that lessons learned from the Saarah Baartman Centre debacle can be applied to future projects, ensuring that they are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest standards.