Students and pupils weren't able to use it during the first and second terms of the school calendar this year. The main problem of the library was a stolen cable that affected the library very badly.

Speaking to OFM News about the challenges they have faced ever since the library was not in use, some residents broke their silence and expressed their concerns.

Moleboheng Mahlatsi (18), a grade 12 pupil from Nthabiseng Secondary School, said since she can't study at home due to her noisy siblings, she ended up underperforming at school.

She said they've formed a study group that works together but there's no other place they can use for the studies. "We've been talking much about this problem to the municipal officers but no-one seems to help us," said Mahlatsi.

She added that the library is the nearest to the community of Phuthaditjhaba, because the one in town accommodates a lot of people from different places in Qwaqwa.

"It is very painful to find ourselves having no place to use while the library has a minor problem of electricity that can be fixed within a period of a week," said the devastated Mahlatsi.

A fifty-year-old parent, Lucky Motsima, said some other things are not taken serious by the municipality.

"How can the [situation at the] community library, which serves pupils and students from universities, TVET colleges, primary and secondary schools, be ignored like this," asked Motsima.

He revealed that this is a serious challenge, especially since the province is doing very well in terms of education.

In an exclusive interview with OFM News about this matter, the executive mayor of the Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality, Gilbert Mokotso, said he hasn't heard anything like this before.

Mokotso said he only heard of this problem last week and he'll attend to it as soon as possible.

He promised the community that this matter will come to an end within days.

OFM News/Tumelo Khotha