The municipality will be leasing out the much-publicised Intermodal Transport Facility located in the city’s central business district to the Greater Bloemfontein Taxi Association through its entity, the Free State Taxi Association. While the invite to the signing was released last week, Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, revealed in her report on the facility late last year that the Metro’s municipal council had greenlit the lease agreement following extensive consultation with National and Provincial Treasury on the matter. OFM News has been informed that the municipality needs R80 million to renovate this facility. It is unknown if Mayor Olly Mlamleli will speak on the possible renovations when the agreement is signed off at the Bram Fischer Building this morning.

It has been reported that mere weeks after the municipality opened the facility in 2011, taxi operators boycotted the building citing several structural issues. These issues included a narrow pathway, as well as congestion at the exit entrance which was exacerbated by these narrow pathways. Allegations of maladministration and corruption by the municipality in the construction of the building ensued. The then Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, looked into the allegations reported to her in 2012. Madonsela’s term ended before the report was released. When Busisiwe Mkhwebane took over the reins, she concluded the investigation and released the report in late 2018. In the report, Mkhwebane says there is no evidence of maladministration on the part of Mangaung Metro regarding the construction of the Intermodal Transport Facility located in the city’s central business district. OFM News spoke to Street vendor Johannes Papi Mokwa during Cyril Ramaphosa’s Thuma Mina trail in Bloemfontein in November 2018. Mokwa alleged at the time that the vacant building had become a hub for criminal activity. Mokwa added that commuters and street vendors are under threat in that area because criminals often terrorise them. He urged the government to do something about the building urgently.

OFM News