Joburg commits to reopening city library

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The City of Johannesburg has committed to re-opening the City Library to the public.

It was closed in 2021 over safety concerns.

There are growing calls for the biggest library in the Johannesburg CBD to be re-opened, with protests held at the weekend.

The metropolitan municipality says it has budgeted R25 million in the 2024/25 financial year as part of the initial R45 million needed to make the building compliant with safety regulations.

The city says it’s in the process of appointing service providers to address the critical fire safety concerns at the library.

Johannesburg Community Development MMC, Lubabalo Magwentshu, says contractors are working currently on soldering and waterproofing of external gutters and other work will begin on the much-needed compliance issues from July this year.

He says the current phase of the project is expected to pave the way for the partial reopening of the library in the next financial year.

The Friends of the Joburg Libraries is a Section 21 organisation that supports the Johannesburg Library Services, committed to helping libraries expand their reach and improve their services to the public.

Through various initiatives, the Friends of the Joburg Libraries helps to raise awareness of the importance of libraries and their role in the community.

Video | Interview with Chairperson of Friends of the Joburg Libraries, Zara Natalie:

-Report by Monique Lewis