Work to continue at Thusong service centre

THE Motherwell Thusong Service Centre, a supposed service delivery hub, has become a white elephant four years after it was supposed to have been completed.

However, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is hopeful the R46-million facility will be completed within a year.

The centre, intended to bring municipal and government services closer to the community, is expected to house departments like Home Affairs, a traffic and licensing centre and the yet to be established metro police force.

Construction of the building stalled at different stages, with subcontractors downing tools and protesting over what they said was money owed to them for work done.

The European Union pumped R210-million into projects to rejuvenate Motherwell, with the centre being one of the Motherwell Urban Renewal Programme projects to benefit from that.

On Friday, municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki said the city had given itself 12 months to complete the project.

"We have experienced a number of challenges with the project. Challenges with construction companies not finishing their work, change of specifications and vandalism [but] the facility is under security surveillance now.

"The other delay is the change of specifications to make it fit for the licensing centre. Due to the pressure of the existing centres that we have, we saw it fit to have another one in that area of the city to serve Motherwell, Colchester and surrounding areas. Work is progressing ."

Safety and security portfolio chairman Thembinkosi Mafana, who is championing the establishment of the metro police force, said the city was putting final touches to the facility. - Mkhululi Ndamase