Residents, council officials, architects and builders attended a ceremony to turn the soil of a multi-purpose centre in the city's northern areas. Ward Councillor Mbongeni Bungane is optimistic, but believes it should only be a start.

 "As communities grow, the government must make provision for the people. This is a relocation area.  "We are not happy with the gap between local government and provincial authorities," he said. After meeting with members of the community, the contractor and architects assessed the site.

The centre has a budget of R17-million with R25000 dedicated to identifying valuable plants that need to be conserved. Architect Gillian Adendorff said the building would consist of a main hall where general activities could be held, as well as multi-functional auxiliary buildings.

Housing Development Agency programme manager Nicholas Tsewu appealed to the community to make the centre a success. The centre is expected to be built over the course of a year.