With the demolition of Telkom Park on track, the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) is calling on people to share their memories on social media of the former Boet Erasmus Stadium.
The agency has placed a billboard in front of the stadium, which is steeped in history, marking a three-month countdown to the demolition.
MBDA spokesman Luvuyo Bangazi said the demise of the stadium was cemented when the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in North End was built for the 2010 World Cup.
“As the demolition kicks off, the MBDA is calling on people to share their special memories of Boet by writing and publishing their unique and memorable stories with the world.”
The demolition will be streamed live with some of the memories collected posted on the agency’s website.
“People should use #Dankieboet – this will enable us to track and collect their stories across the various social media platforms. People are urged to share stories, photos and memorabilia.”
Bangazi said the demolition was expected to take up to three months. “It is a methodical and engineering feat guided by a string of conditions from a safety and health perspective as well as the stipulations of the demolition licence.
“We will not see one big bang, but a gradual knocking down, collecting rubble, carting it out.“[The demolition] is just one step of the process to freeing this prime real estate for catalytic and transformative developments,” he said.
“A significant amount of consultations took place with the public and affected stakeholders, which then led to the various opportunities which have influenced the mixedused development plans.
“Some of the opportunities identified are eco-style accommodation, light adventure zones, open public spaces, an exhibition centre, as well as housing and retail.”
In the old days, the Springboks enjoyed an impressive 87% winning rate in test rugby at Boet Erasmus – the third oldest stadium in South Africa.
Of the 16 tests the Boks played at the Boet, they won 14 matches in an era when South Africa were virtually unbeatable on home soil and especially in Port Elizabeth.
One of the times the Boks lost at the stadium was when they came unstuck against the British Lions in 1974.
The Boks went down 26-9 in a famous test that was later dubbed the “Battle of the Boet” as the Lions clinched a historic series win in South Africa.
At its peak, the stadium also hosted soccer tournaments, concerts and festivals.
“The stadium was the headquarters of all major sporting events in the Eastern Cape,” Bangazi said.