Is this our heritage?

A year on, vandals are still destroying Nelson Mandela Bay heritage sites which are strewn with  drug paraphernalia, rubbish and faeces and desecrated with profane graffiti. 

SA may be marking Heritage Day on Friday, but there is simply no cause for celebration at city monuments, memorials and once-heralded tourism routes. 

The sites were visited by a Herald team a year ago,  but there has been little to no improvement; in fact, some sites have fallen into further degradation.

Jennie Bennie, of the Historical Society of Port Elizabeth, said fighting the scourge of vandalism was an ongoing and complex problem, and those guilty of destroying the city’s heritage did not have its best interest at heart.

“The destructive element is frightening.

“I honestly do not know what motivates people who do such things,” she said.

“We spend a lot of time and energy fixing and rebuilding these sites only to have them vandalised over and over again.

“It is a very expensive exercise.”

The Langa Memorial in Kariega and Route 67 off the Donkin Reserve, which comprises public artworks symbolising Nelson Mandela’s years dedicated to securing freedom for all the people of SA, are in a shocking state. 

The Langa Memorial was built to honour those shot dead by apartheid police on March 21 1985.

Here, vandals have left a trail of destruction in their wake by stripping electrical wires from light fixtures and ripping up the brick paving of a walkway.

The glass on the Heroes Memorial has also been shattered and vagrants have taken up residence in what were once the bathrooms.

Inside this building, profanities have been scrawled across walls, while windows, doors, taps, light fixtures and gates have also been stolen.

Piles of dirt, broken glass, old shoes and used masks are strewn on the unkempt lawn.

A resident, who lives close to the site, said it was heartbreaking.

“All I can do when I walk past is shake my head.

“I wonder how people in our community can destroy something that was meant to uplift them.” 

Route 67  is in such a filthy state that tour operators are too embarrassed to take visitors there.

The 67 steps leading up to the second-largest flag in Africa are covered with dirt, broken bottles, used condoms, old clothing and faeces.

The strong stench of urine fills the air. 

The light fixtures that used to light up the tiled pathways have been stolen, including cabling.

At the other sites, the following was observed: 

• Donkin Reserve: Cables to electricity boxes have been ripped out and the grounds filthy;  
• Fort Frederick: Litter was strewn across grass and the rubbish bins overflowing. Graffiti is on some of the signage;
• Cenotaph: Aside from a few broken glass shards on the steps, the monument is in a decent condition; 
• No 7 Castle Hill: Plaques have been stolen and the information board damaged. Thieves recently tried to break into the museum but were scared off by an alarm; 
• Prince Alfred Guard: While construction is under way around the monument, the grass remains uncut; 
• Walmer Town Hall War Memorial: Piles of litter were seen and a plaque was stolen from the back of the monument; 
• Horse Memorial: Inside the fencing it is neat and the grass cut. On the outside, used needles and filth pile up; and  
• Sheya Kulati Memorial: Slabs of marble are missing and the steps are full of broken glass. 

Despite these findings, municipal spokesperson Mamela Ndamase said the sites were cleaned regularly.

She said contractors sent photographs as proof that work was done.

“The challenge of vandalism is not one that is affecting only heritage sites.

“Our substations, sports fields, and other facilities are constantly under threat despite having security guards or not.

“To address the challenge, an anti-vandalism steering committee was formed by the city.

“They are addressing these challenges by implementing various new security interventions.”

Other interventions by the metro included educating residents.

“It costs the city millions of rand and it affects service delivery.

“Behavioural change is required.

“We clean the sites daily, but you will find that residents would litter on the same day after it was cleaned,” Ndamase said. 

Bay Tourism chair Shaun van Eck said heritage was a crucial component of the metro’s offering and that the city needed to get the basics right, such as security and cleanliness.

Van Eck said before the Covid-19 pandemic, Route 67 was popular with overseas tourists. 

“Before the start of the summer season something major needs to be done to get the route back up to scratch and other heritage sites as well.

“The restoration of these sites requires urgent care.” 

Gecko Tours owner Tony Neveling said he was embarrassed to take locals and international tourists on the Route 67 tour.

He was even contemplating cleaning the sites himself.

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