New contractor to complete centre

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12-04-2024
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The Citizen Online
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The centre was completed in August 2008, but the construction was so poor that it could never be used because it was considered unsafe. Since then, it has fallen into the hands of looters.

A project to finally open the doors of the Vredefort Dome Interpretation Centre to the public should be completed by July 2024.

That was according to the Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, during her visit to Parys on Tuesday. The centre has stood empty and dilapidated along the R59 just outside of Parys for the past 15 years.

In 2023, the Gazette reported that the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) had appointed Durapi Consulting Pty Ltd as the professional service provider in 2022. The scope of work included refurbishing and completing the existing exhibition centre, kiosk and ablution facilities, craft market, amphitheatre and guard house, and installing a new fence.

The contractor would have also been responsible for renovating and constructing ramps and walkways for accessibility to the existing exhibition centre, building a parking area, installing signage, and general landscaping.

The Department of Tourism funded the project, totalling R24,160,892.96.
By January 2023, the project experienced challenges when the contractor, Yahweh Construction and Projects could not pay salaries. After the Department of Tourism intervened, DBSA issued several notirces to the contractor, eventually resulting in terminating the contract. A new contractor, the Macho Group Construction Company was then appointed in January 2024 for R19,998 363.30, the minister said.

She emphasised the importance of taking responsibility for the management and maintenance of the centre once the project is completed,

In 2023, the Gazette also reported that Prof. Roger Gibson from Wits University had visited the site with Mr Brandon Canham in 2022, briefing him on the original exhibition plans, dating from 2009, and inspecting the state of the display materials that were moved to the site before anyone identified the earlier building problems. As a subject expert, Prof. Gibson assembled a design team and subcontractors with the management assistance of Wits Enterprise.

According to him, Fezile Dabi District Municipality (FDDM) sponsored the project, which entailed creating a scientific exhibition spanning astronomy, meteorites and impact cratering, focusing on the Vredefort impact event and geology of the Vredefort Dome.

They could not complete it, however, owing to the repeated delays the building problems caused. The design team then had to be disbanded.

Sadly, one of the centrepieces of the exhibition, a 2×2 m painted relief model of the Dome, was slightly damaged when Prof. Gibson saw it in 2022. As the building work commenced, he asked permission to remove it in case it got damaged further. When the site team took it out of the storage room, it appeared that is what happened, with the tops of several hills being chipped off.

This centrepiece of the exhibition, a 2 x 2m painted relief model of the Dome, has since been damaged.

The Vredefort Dome is an internationally acknowledged geological wonder and heritage jewel for South Africa that attracts numerous local and international visitors annually.

Although the Vredefort Dome area needs an interpretation centre, the millions in taxpayer money wasted on a building that has been nothing but a white elephant for years has been criticised widely over the past years, and described as an international embarrassment. For many tour guides and tourists visiting the area, the building standing empty and dilapidated while signs lead you there is a shame.

The centre was completed in August 2008, but the construction was so poor that it could never be used because it was considered unsafe. Since then, it has fallen into the hands of looters.