The mayor of the Midvaal Municipality in southern Gauteng and Members of the Mayoral Committee have unveiled new rooms at the Lakeside Library.

Mayor Peter Teixeira said the makerspace plays a crucial role in communities, fostering creativity, innovation, and collaboration. “This space will allow users to immerse themselves in a world of possibilities, including 3D printing, coding, creative arts, project modelling, and robotics.” 

The game rooms will enhance concentration and encourage interaction among peers. Picture supplied

A library makerspace, also named Hackerspace or Hacklab, is an area and/or service that affords library patrons an opportunity to create intellectual and physical materials using resources such as computers, 3-D printers, audio and video capture and editing tools, and traditional arts and crafts supplies.

As for the gaming room, they believe this will serve as a space for entertainment and socialisation.

Mayor Peter Teixeira and other stakeholders at the unveiling of the new rooms. Picture supplied

“The gaming rooms will, among other things, promote digital literacy skills, enhance the concentration of learners, and encourage interaction among peers.” The maker space and gaming rooms are understood to be able to grant communities access to cutting-edge technology that would ordinarily be inaccessible in these communities. “By offering these amenities within our public libraries, we create safe spaces for exploration and discovery.”

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi previously named the Midvaal Municipality as one of the two in the province which does not owe Eskom. The power utility, on the contrary, owes the municipality money. Teixeira said Eskom owed them at least R300,000 for property tax. They have a good working relationship with Eskom and they are fulfilling their payment agreement.

Mayor Peter Teixeira and students at the opening of the gaming room. Picture supplied

The Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke said the municipality managed to get a clean audit for the ninth time and this can be attributed to public participation. Teixeira described the municipality as “an island of greatness” during his State of the Municipality Address. He thanked residents for always paying their rates and taxes because it is nearly impossible to run a municipality if those are not paid.

He said although they have received a clean audit for the ninth consecutive time, the clean audit means nothing if residents can’t reap the benefits of it. “If the residents of Midvaal cannot see, breathe, feel, or touch the clean audit we talk about, then it doesn’t mean anything to me. If residents do not have access to quality water, uninterrupted electricity, or pothole-free roads, then the clean audit doesn’t matter.”

OFM News/Tshehla Koteli