Damage has gone unrepaired for years, staff and visitors say
Covered parking bays at the City of Mbombela (CoM) civic centre are in a state of disrepair and present a safety concern for municipal employees and members of the public, several people using the facility reported.
Anonymous municipal staff said the structures have been deteriorating for some time and have not been fixed despite repeated frustration. One employee attributed the damage to strong winds and the impact of vehicles over the past three years and questioned the municipality's ability to maintain its own premises.
“It is concerning that the municipality cannot repair its own premises while expecting the public to trust it with service delivery,” a CoM employee said.
Visitors to the civic centre expressed similar concern. Gert Oosthuizen, who attended the municipal offices, told reporters the parking had been in an unsafe condition for about three years and called for the municipality to act before someone is injured.
The state of the bays has also drawn criticism that it reflects poorly on overall municipal service delivery. “The parking area is a sign that the municipality is failing its people and those working inside the premises,” Theo Manzini said. “It is an indication that they cannot deliver to the people they serve if they cannot fix their own parking.”
Municipality says repairs are being procured
CoM spokesperson Joseph Ngala confirmed the municipality is aware of the damage and that it is in the process of appointing a service provider to carry out repairs.
“It should be finalised shortly,” Ngala said.
Ngala did not provide a specific timeframe for when work will begin or an explanation for the apparent delay in addressing the problem.
Local consequences and context
Failing covered parking affects staff safety, visitor confidence and the civic centre’s day-to-day operations. In a city that depends on municipal services for local administration and to support tourism and business activity, visible deterioration at a central municipal building can erode public trust.
Residents have become increasingly sensitive to visible municipal neglect after a series of other infrastructure complaints in Mbombela, including broken streetlights and vandalised facilities reported elsewhere in the city. The civic centre is a high-traffic site where staff and the public enter daily to access services, making timely repairs an urgent local priority.
- Who is affected: municipal employees, visitors and the general public using civic centre services
- Reported cause: wind damage and vehicle impact over the past three years (per staff)
- Municipal response: CoM says it is procuring a service provider; no firm start date provided
| Issue | Detail |
|---|---|
| Duration of deterioration | Reported by visitors and staff to be about three years |
| Municipal action | Procurement of a service provider under way, according to CoM spokesperson |
| Immediate risk | Structures described as unsafe for workers and customers |
Residents and civic centre users said they expect clearer communication from the municipality about timelines and safety measures while the procurement process is completed. Those concerns mirror broader calls across Mbombela for prompt maintenance of public assets so that everyday services and municipal credibility are preserved.
For now, the civic centre continues to operate with the damaged covered bays in place while the city seeks a contractor to do the repairs. Municipal staff asked that the work be prioritised to prevent injury and restore confidence in the upkeep of municipal property.
