Pretoria - Arts activists and theatre practitioners are outraged that the promise by the Limpopo government to build an R80 million theatre in Polokwane has yet to bear fruit six years on.
This is despite R80m and R43m being put aside by the provincial and national government respectively for the project.
Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha also spoke about the building of the theatre during his State of the Province Address. In 2016 the then MEC of arts and culture, Nandi Ndalane, announced plans to build the theatre.
The project was meant to construct a 600-seater, medium-sized theatre with a secondary 200 seats and facilities such as restaurants, a bar, coffee shop, bookshop and creative arts spaces.
However, arts activists have been vocal about the failure of government having failed to break ground for what would be the first provincial theatre of its kind.
Speaking to the Pretoria News yesterday, artist and independent theatre practitioner Mashupe Phala accused the government officials of being greedy and “lining their pockets” with the funds meant for the project.
He said: “In 2015, Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa declared that a theatre would be built in Limpopo because the province remained the only one after so many years of democracy without a theatre.
“We can put the blame on the infrastructural imbalance created by the former government or the lack of willingness by the recent government.
“The hold-up is caused by greed. I say so because almost everyone involved in the process is looking at how they will benefit from it instead of how the sector will benefit from it.”
He said artists and practitioners have been holding meetings with the national and provincial departments to see the theatre being realised.
“I have written numerous letters of update requests to the provincial and national government and their answers are neither here nor there.
“If a theatre is to be built in Limpopo it would be in Polokwane and land has already been identified where the theatre would be built; this was promised by Premier Mathabatha during his State of the Province Address.
“Theatre practitioners have been working hard to try to develop an audience through holding shows using alternative spaces to ensure that when the theatre is finally built, it doesn't remain a white elephant.
“We have an audience which will go watch the shows at the theatre; however this has proven to be a long and tedious wait,” Phala said.
Polokwane mayor John Mpe confirmed last year that the municipality had finally signed off on Bakone Malapa Open Air Museum as the location of the theatre.
This week, Limpopo government spokesperson Ndavhe Ramakuela blamed plans to construct the theatre on the delay to allocate land where the theatre would be built.
Ramakuela said: “Initially the project was conceived as a Public Private Partnership at a different location within Polokwane.
“That has since not been seen as viable and a conventional procurement method was then looked into which is what is being implemented now, fully funded by the provincial and national government.
“The design development is scheduled to be completed by the end of the first quarter of the current financial year (22/23) and scheduled for advertisement during the second quarter of the current financial year. To date the amount spent is R3.36m in professional fees for the concept approval.”
The department in the province said the feasibility study for the theatre was concluded in the 2020/21 financial year.
Department spokesperson Lucky Tshilimandila said the 2021/22 financial year was the planning phase, which included the identification and allocation of land by the Polokwane municipality and other stakeholders.
A principal agent was appointed for the inception of the concept, including proposed designs, he added.
Pretoria News