This as the Economic Freedom Fighters in the Free State, led by chairperson Mandisa Makesisni, is expected to hold a press briefing at the historical site in Bloemfontein on Monday. The briefing, which is scheduled to kick off at 10:00, will delve into the R120 million that was set aside for the transformation of the old Ramkraal prison into the new Free State Provincial Legislature complex. This money remains unaccounted for over a decade since the project was initiated. 

The dilapidated site has reportedly become home to criminal activities and a temporary shelter for the homeless. The Free State Heritage Committee previously said the site falls under the National Heritage Act and should, therefore, be preserved and not left in the state in which it currently is.

Elsewhere in the Free State capital, Mangaung Metro’s multi-story taxi complex which cost R400 million, has now not been used for almost a decade. A written question recently posed on the Parliament’s monitoring group website – tabled by EFF MP Moletsane Moletsane – has brought the issue back into the public eye. 

According to the Free State Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs department and Mangaung Metro municipality, the taxi complex is not being used due to an ongoing dispute between the Metro and Greater Bloemfontein Taxi Association. In 2019, the municipality signed a 30-year lease agreement with the Greater Bloemfontein Taxi Association through its entity, the Free State Taxi Association, to manage the facility. The first matter on the list was renovating the building. To date this has not been done.

OFM News