By Thaba Nchu airport is a sour sight of missed opportunities, lost jobs, mismanagement and economic growth. The vandalised airport is a sad tale of what used to be part of an economic vibrant town; but through lack of leadership and vision it lies in ruins today.
The defunct airport is just but the tip of the iceberg in Thaba Nchu; the building has been vandalised, no windows and roofing, trees and grass have grown on concrete reflecting that no care has attending the airport in years.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) conducted an oversight visit at the airport, much to their dismay; they were confronted by the discouraging sight of a vandalised airport.
According to DA Councillor Lebohang Mohlamme, the airport ceased operations years ago resulting in a significant loss of employment opportunities for many individuals.
“Established in 1988 the airport once symbolised pride and prosperity for the community. However, since the advent of the ANC, the airport’s decline reflects a stark failure on the part of the ANC to uphold its responsibility towards the people of Thaba Nchu.
The closure of the airport, due to mismanagement is unacceptable as the municipality struggles with an unemployment crisis. The DA calls upon the government to prioritise infrastructure maintenance, recognising its pivotal role in attracting potential investors and fostering economic growth,” said Mohlamme.
Mohlamme says the DA has in the past two decades warned about the dangers of cadre deployment by the ruling party, resulting in cronyism and manifesting into corruption, and a compromised state apparatus. She says these issues manifest in corruption scandals, financial mismanagement, and deterioration in essential services.
“A cornerstone of a DA-led government will be the establishment of a competent, professional public service focused solely on delivering high-quality services to all South Africans.
Cadre deployment has left the state bereft of the skills and capacity necessary to provide basic services such as water, electricity, housing, and transportation. Redressing this through the recruitment of skilled personnel is imperative to addressing these pressing challenges,” said Cllr Lebohang Mohlamme.
The Executive Mayor of Mangaung Metro, Cllr. Gregory Nthatisi told The Business Weekly that plans are underway to develop the airport in Thaba Nchu. He said the Kingdom in Thaba Nchu is working on developing the town towards the airport and they are currently busy looking into what can be done at the airport. However, more details will be revealed as their business plan develops.
Nthatisi says Tempe airport is being looked at as an economic hub together with Thaba Nchu airport.
“We are also looking at closer to that airport (Thaba Nchu airport) of putting a solar system that will actually begging to help CENTLEC to generate energy to help service our people through energy and other means,” said the Executive Mayor Gregory Nthatisi.
