Call for heritage rethink in Claremont, Newlands
A sub-council motion could see the controversial Kildare Springs plaque replaced and the establishment of a heritage walk in the Claremont/Newlands area.
In his motion to Sub-council 11 last Wednesday, Ward 59 councillor Mikhail Manuel called for the replacement of the memorial plaque - which was criticised by various groups, after the City put it up in 2021, for failing to give an adequately inclusive account of the area’s heritage.
The plaque largely memorialised the spring’s role in the brewing industry as well as Scandinavian businessman and politician Anders Ohlsson, who established Ohlsson’s Cape Breweries in 1896.
Mr Manuel said it did not accurately reflect the history of the area.
“Ideally, we are looking at just replacing the plaque and accurately capturing its history. This would, however, be done in participation with the community,” he said.
In his motion, Mr Manuel said he wanted to firstly establish an area for a heritage walk that would include landmarks such as Arderne Gardens, Claremont civic centre, St Saviours Anglican Church, Claremont Main Road Mosque, Jospehine Mill and Newlands Brewery among others.
“The Claremont/Newlands area presents an important opportunity to memoralise the full complexity of the area’s heritage and that of Cape Town more broadly. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis conferred civic honours on Krotoa in December - stories like hers about the memory of our local families, communities and institutions,” he said.
The plan should be worked on in partnership with the community and interested and affected groups, he said.
Mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment Eddie Andrews said the plaque and its content had been sent to the sub-council for approval before it had been put up at the spring.
“Since the project was completed, the City has received a request from the new ward councillor and a local imam to revise the content of the plaque to be more representative. The environmental management department once again agreed to develop the content in line with the request and replace the plaque. The City is currently working with the local ward councillor on the proposed content,” he said.
Claremont Improvement District Company executive manager Abdul Kerbelker said the area had a rich colonial history and an unwritten history of labourers who had worked on the surrounding estates of Feldhausen, Weltevreden and Mariendhal .
“These names are remembered only in street names dotted around Claremont, but rich histories of transport, sport, education, mosques, churches and trade are waiting to be uncovered through a thoughtful and inclusive telling of the Claremont story. We thus support this initiative to revive the Claremont story,” he said.
“A sense of community is built by a sense of belonging, and Claremont’s rich history and shared belonging through sport and entertainment can be enriched by looking at the rich sporting history of schools and clubs now no longer in this precinct. This can be combined with present day sport experiences and experiential activities to create a richer sense of belonging to this space .
“This is but one example that can be teased out. So many other examples exist where the past co-exists with the present and can lend meaning to our present community of Claremont.”
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