As the Buffalo City municipality considers the future of the vandalised Parkside Library, a local community developer has stepped forward with an alternative vision — turn the abandoned building into a rehabilitation centre, shelter and learning hub.
Sella Doyle, 54, a previous Daily Dispatch Local Hero, wants permission to adopt the municipal property, which has been closed after repeated break-ins and arson incidents.
Doyle, who runs the NPO Good Samaritan Caregivers, has been operating next to the derelict library since 2023 after receiving permission from the ward councillor to use a vacant adjacent area.
“Good Samaritan Caregivers, not only offers meals for the hungry, but we accommodate those in need of shelter and provide beds for the destitute,” she said.
She is currently helping 15 people battling addiction.
“Ironically, having our rehabilitation centre nearby has proven beneficial as residents have been able to keep a watchful eye on the library, preventing further vandalism.
“I would love to use the library to expand the wellness centre.
“My dream is to also have a learning centre for grade 12 pupils, so that they have a place to study and revise and a night aftercare for children left behind by their parents for work,” Doyle said.
At present, she prepares meals from the dilapidated premises.
“I started the NPO in 2018.
“I started cooking for 80 children in Parkside, who were in need of meals, from my house.”
In October 2025, Doyle wrote to Buffalo City mayor Princess Faku seeking guidance on formally taking over the building.
The municipality says the library has deteriorated beyond practical reopening.
The damage to the Parkside Library is at such a point that the idea of opening once again as a library has been abandoned
— Bongani Fuzile, BCM spokesperson
BCM spokesperson Bongani Fuzile said that due to occupational health and safety issues and the vast amount of damage, a decision was made for the Parkside Library to close to the public and to move staff to other libraries.
This while repairs were taking place and/or to refurbish a selected space so that the library could be moved to a safer site.
“The damage to the Parkside Library is at such a point that the idea of opening once again as a library has been abandoned.
“A request was submitted on August 12 2024 indicating that due to repeated break-ins and vandalism, a consideration should be made for the Parkside Library to permanently close.”
He said another request had been made for the Parkside Library to be handed over to BCM’s property disposal and acquisition section, and a possible relocation of the library to a building attached to Parkside Hall.
However, he could not provide a timeline for the relocation.
“Estimates are that it will cost R3m to relocate the library, so as soon as the internal consultation is done within relevant departments within BCM,” Fuzile said.
The proposed relocation has drawn political opposition.
“Buffalo City Metro receives R17.88m from the provincial government for library services,” DA MPL Leander Kruger said.
“Yet despite this, a site visit to the Parkside Library revealed little evidence of meaningful upgrades.
“Equally troubling is the practicality of the proposed relocation.
“A site visit to Parkside Hall confirmed that municipal offices or the hall itself would need to be sacrificed to accommodate the library.
“Without proper consultation or planning, this plan risks undermining both the hall’s role as a community facility and the library’s purpose as an accessible hub of knowledge.”
Kruger said at least five break-ins had been recorded annually between 2019 and 2024.
“A library that should serve as a safe centre of learning has instead become a symbol of neglect,” he said.
The provincial department of sport, recreation, arts and culture said that “while the department may support aspects such as provision of books, staffing norms, or programme support, the structural maintenance and asset management of the facility ordinarily remain the responsibility of the owning authority”.
“The Parkside Library facility is under the ownership of BCM,” spokesperson Andile Nduna said.
Daily Dispatch
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