By Mihlali Dlova

On the 21st of February 2023, the community of 22,000 in Dimbaza celebrated the official opening of its first public library with an added facility to assist the visually impaired.

The launch was presided over by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts, and Culture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe, prompted by a recognized need within this community and a specific request from the Eastern Cape Braille and Print Institute. It was noted that previously, blind members of the Dimbaza community faced difficulties accessing public services like libraries. Transportation to the library in Qonce was available only once a week for visually impaired individuals seeking library services.

Kontsiwe emphasized the significance of having such a facility in the community and urged community members to utilize its resources to foster a culture of reading that would empower the community. The MEC also stressed the importance of maintaining the facility, now an asset of Dimbaza, benefiting present and future generations.

“Schools and the public will benefit from this library, allowing learners to do schoolwork such as homework and projects. Grandparents will have access to newspapers, and some will learn to read. This will help address illiteracy in our communities.”

Nomava Bhinqa, a visually impaired member of the community who attended the opening, expressed gratitude on behalf of the people of Dimbaza. “A blind person struggles a lot to obtain reading material, which can be expensive. We are thankful for this library equipped with resources for us. The library for the blind within this facility will not only provide reading materials but also create a space for us, the blind, to discuss matters that aid in our development.”

The opening of the Dimbaza library aligns with MEC Kontsiwe’s constitutional mandate to ensure the provision of library services in underdeveloped areas of the province. The MEC acknowledged key contributors to the library’s opening, including the Buffalo City Metro Municipality and the SA Library for the Blind.

The official opening of the facility coincided with the celebration of International Mother Language Day, observed annually on February 21. This year’s theme was “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education,” endorsed during a UNESCO General Conference in 1999. The day aims to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity alongside multilingualism. The establishment of a public library in Dimbaza, inclusive of services for the visually impaired, ensures that the blind community is not

excluded from initiatives promoting education transformation and multilingualism. It facilitates easier access to public services and information for all.