Limpopo Premier Dr. Phophi Ramathuba has been accused of little more than making fruitless promises to settle the R23 million Dumela Library Project.
About seven kilometres away from Mulamula-Dumela village in the west of rural Malamulele Circuit, there is a blistering source of information centre with a vivid name: Mulamula Library. This is at Mulamula-Magangeni village. The centre has been in the spotlight from the beginning of construction, as locals questioned whether it was built in the correct village.
During the 2018 State of the Province Address (SOPA), the then Premier Stan Mathabatha announced the building of four new libraries, including the R18 million Dumela Library in the Collins Chabane Municipality; the only one which is still topical seven years later after commencement of the project. The cost has since increased to R23 million, if media reports are anything to go by.
Additionally, Mathabatha announced the construction of three more library centres: one in Runnymede, in the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality; another in Mavalani, in the Greater Giyani Municipality; and one in Seleteng village, in Ga-Mphahlele, just outside Polokwane.
Dr. Ray Maluleke, chairperson of Dumela Development Forum (DDF), a forum which applied for the library in 2012, says the Limpopo Provincial Government has been difficult to work with. He says the arrogance of former Arts and Culture MEC Thandi Moraka, now Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, is something he will never forget.
According to WhatsApp messages between Premier Ramathuba and Dr. Maluleke of October 15, 2024, seen by African Times, Ramathuba assured the forum chair that Jerry Maseko, the provincial member of the executive council (MEC) for the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture, would travel to the Dumela area to settle the issue once and for all. However, the MEC has yet to follow through on this promise.
“MEC will visit the area,” she wrote. Dr. Maluleke replied, “Noted with much appreciation Premier.” The chat ended.
Ndavhe Ramakuela, a spokesman for the Limpopo Provincial Government, stated that he was unable to verify or refute the WhatsApp messages. He asserted, however, that the Arts and Culture Department bears the entire responsibility for finding a solution.
“This is a matter that MEC may respond to. It does not require the Premier yet. The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture has been doing work there at Mulamula since, liaise with them,” Ramakuela said.
Dr. Maluleke said he is not surprised that Maseko is taking so long to address this because he is accustomed to the department leadership ignoring the issue. He blames former Sports, Arts and Culture MEC Thandi Moraka for moving the library to Mulamula-Magageni instead of Mulamula-Dumela.
Before the start of construction of the library, chieftaincy battle was already raging. However, on January 13, 2019, former Premier Stan Mathabatha acknowledged Joseph Mdungazi Maluleke, who is now deceased, as the Mulamula Tribal Authority’s lawful chief. According to Dr. Maluleke, Chief Maluleke then instructed MEC Moraka to build the library at Dumela village, as Mathabatha had stated in his 2018 SOPA. This followed the identification of three construction sites at Dumela, not Magangeni.
Dr. Maluleke said the chief’s instruction fell on Moraka’s deaf ears, who followed the dissolved chieftaincy of Thomas Maluleke to build the library at Mulamula-Magangeni instead.
Dumela Village is centre to Nhombelani, Magangeni, and Muswane in the Mulamula Tribal Authority, hence the location of the library. Dr. Maluleke said the library was mainly meant to serve these villages, but Mkhomi, Gumbani, Mudavula, Xihosani, and Shigamani villages would also benefit.
“All we want is that these building offices be converted to become Malamulele Circuit offices, and the offices of a new library be built at Dumela Village. We even submitted this to Premier Ramathuba, hence you saw that the Premier said the MEC (Jerry Maseko) will visit us. He is responsible for the department, but since Premier gave him the assignment, he has not visited yet. He is undermining the authority of the Premier. We have already written the letter to MEC Maseko. His secretary, Kgwane Dolamo-Boshielo, responded by saying we must write him an email. We did that, but nothing has happened since.
“This matter is very urgent. We wish the library construction would be finished as yesterday. It has been long overdue. No one in Magangeni Village has documentation for the application of this library. We applied for it, not them. They hijacked the project. The library is ours, and it must be built here at Dumela. If the MEC were to visit, he would see the land. They have done the feasibility study already, despite not giving us the results. Maybe the results were submitted to the office, we don’t know,” Dr. Maluleke said.
“Malamulele as a whole does not have a library. Our communities don’t have an information centre. When people do research, they would come to the library. This centre would be beneficial to the whole nation, not only Dumela to be specific. It has been about six years. The library in Mavalani was completed without any problems. The one in Runnymede is operational. The one in Seleteng village is operational. It is only ours that is not operational because it was not built in Dumela. No one is above the law in this country. For peace’s sake, they must convert that building into a circuit office and build our library as per the application. We did not apply for circuit offices but a full library office. The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture is dragging its feet,” he added.
In 2022, reports indicated that the Hawks were investigating the Limpopo MEC for sports, arts, and culture for allegedly relocating the site of a new R23m community library from Dumela village to a neighbouring village that had not applied for it.
The Dumela village community development forum made a complaint of corruption last month against MEC Thandi Moraka, who allegedly instructed that the library be moved to Mulamula village in 2019.
When asked about the progress of the investigation on Tuesday, 25 March 2025, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa confirmed receipt of the query. “I received your message. Currently, I’m on leave, but I forwarded the message to the relevant official for assistance.”
On Thursday, Mmuroa told African Times that he was going to do a follow-up on the story.
MEC’s Secretary Kgwane Dolamo-Boshielo was asked about any knowledge of Maseko visiting the Dumela village, but instead he said, “Let me call the department spokesperson (Hope Khumalo). I will get back to you.”
The Department spokesperson, Hope Khumalo, on Thursday, 3 April 2025, was sent questions via WhatsApp about Maseko’s knowledge of the communication between the Premier and DDF chairperson involving his visit to Dumela.
“Kindly note that I must refer this to the right directorate for response,” Khumalo replied.
