'Demolish run-down jetty urgently'

Published May 3, 2007

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By Anel Powell

The dilapidated Strand Jetty, closed since 2002 because of safety concerns, must be "demolished urgently", says the City of Cape Town's mayoral committee.

Grant Haskin, mayoral committee member for sport and amenities, said on Wednesday the application to demolish the 73-year-old structure was "an urgent priority and demolition must start urgently".

Although the jetty has been closed for five years, the city is still concerned that it could be held liable if anyone is injured while using the structure.

The city's recommendation has been welcomed by the Save the Jetty Trust, comprised of residents and businesses wanting to preserve the Strand "institution".

In 2004, the council resolved that a legal entity would take responsibility for funding the jetty project. The Trust proposed a memorandum of agreement in which it agreed to appoint a professional fund raising company to finance the reconstruction of the jetty. The city would thereafter be liable for maintenance and repairs.

The Trust's Daantjie Malan said this agreement was submitted to the city 18 months ago, but nothing had been resolved. Included in the Trust's agreement was a proposal that the city match every rand it made from fund raising with a donation from council coffers. "We knew it was a long shot," said Malan, who then deleted the clause from the agreement. "But we have heard nothing from them since."

The application to demolish the jetty will now be referred to the Helderberg sub-council and then full council for approval.

It has yet to be decided whether the jetty will be reconstructed or replaced.

Malan said several suggestions, including the construction of a tea garden or hotel on the site, "that would make a bit of an income", were raised during meetings with the community. But the overwhelming response was for a replacement jetty.

The jetty was constructed in 1934 for offloading by fishing boats. Weakened by decades of storms and hash weather, it was cordoned off in 2002.

A 2002 CSIR study found that it would not be feasible to repair the jetty because of its age and condition.

Malan said the Trust wanted the jetty to be reinforced with a concrete base that would be less costly to maintain.

Gert Bam, of the city's department of sport and recreation, said the reconstructed jetty would require funding from its operational and maintenance budgets.

But because of the threat of public liability claims, the department was "not able to commit to either the capital or the ongoing maintenance requirements" needed for the jetty.

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