MEC MABUZA OPENS STATE-OF-THE-ART NEWTOWN LIBRARY TO SERVE GROWING COMMUNITY
17 August 2026
The MEC for the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation, Mrs Leah Mabuza, officially opened the newly constructed Newtown Community Library on Friday, 14 August 2026. The Library is situated in a growing settlement called Newtown situated in the Mhluzi Township of the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality. The MEC was joined by the local Community, Executive Mayor of the Municipality Mr Mhlonishwa Masilela, Council Speaker Mr Joseph Ngubeni and Inkosi TB Mthethwa from the Mpumalanga House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders and other stakeholders from the Municipality.
This modern, state-of-the-art facility has been designed to serve more than 8 000 community members in a rapidly developing settlement. It provides residents with free access to essential information, educational and recreational resources.
The Newtown Library offers a comprehensive range of services, including free internet and Wi-Fi, photocopying, specialised services for the blind and partially sighted, book circulation and access to electronic books. The library currently houses 6 798 physical books, 7 745 e-books and 27 computers.
Dedicated spaces within the facility include separate computer rooms for adults and children, a media room, a group discussion room, a study area and a circulation desk. In addition to its core services, the library will implement literacy programmes that include outreach initiatives to schools, old-age homes, early childhood development centres and prisons. Schools are invited to visit the library for orientation sessions.
The Newtown Library will also observe key library calendar events, among them National Library Week, World Book and Copyright Day, Literacy Day and Librarian’s Day. Capacity-building and skills development programmes are in place to support library staff. These include training opportunities and the issuing of bursaries to further upskill personnel. “This Library is for the Community, it is for our children to find refuge and information. We therefore have to take care of it because it is ours, it belongs to this community” said MEC Mabuza during the opening ceremony which was attended by the local community The opening of the Newtown Library marks an important step by the government in creating access to knowledge, lifelong learning and community development in the area.
