47th AGM for Heritage Society

Update

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - The Graaff-Reinet Heritage Society conducted their 47th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, 23 November.

The Heritage Society was established in 1975 by concerned citizens of the town as a direct result of the destruction of numerous historic buildings by both corporate and government institutions.

Since its establishment, the Heritage Society has played an active role in heritage conservation in the Graaff-Reinet community and operates as pressure group and municipal advisor on heritage related issues.

The Heritage Act of 1999 provides for the input of interested local groups in the implementation of heritage legislation, but the Heritage Society does not have legal power as heritage authority lies with the municipality.

However, considering that the municipality do not have the necessary expertise, the Graaff-Reinet Heritage Society advises the Infrastructure Directorate of the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality who, in turn, must take disputed decisions to the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (ECPHRA). The ECPHRA forms part of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) which is a statutory organisation established under the National Heritage Resources Act, No 25 of 1999, as the national administrative body responsible for the protection of South Africa’s cultural heritage.

At the AGM, Archibald Norval presented an enlightening explanation of his work as the corporate architect for BMW Group Middle East, where he is the custodian of the BMW Brand Architecture and Corporate Identity.

Norval lives in and works remotely from Aberdeen, with monthly visits to the Middle East, to ensure that the different BMW projects comply with his plans and the wishes of the owner of the dealership. Advantages of this job are that no expense is spared, and his specifications are implemented in the finest detail. The fascinated audience was virtually walked through luxurious showrooms in Middle Eastern cities like Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.

The vandalism of the Angel Park monument was also discussed at the AGM. A stone slab inscribed with the names of Coloured Corps Second World War soldiers as well as pieces of the metal plaques was recently removed, and black graffiti was sprayed onto the plinth. This monument represents those of the local community who died in the war and, according to the Heritage Society, desecrating it is equal to vandalising graves. Ideas for preserving this icon of Graaff-Reinet varied from moving the monument to fencing it – R227 000 has been quoted for a 2.25 m steel fence. Anyone interested in expressing their views about this issue, is welcome to send an email to Koos Grobbelaar, Chairperson of the Graaff-Reinet Heritage Society, at jpgrob@gmail.com

The 2022/23 committee of the Graaff-Reinet Heritage Society is Koos Grobbelaar (chairperson), Peter Whitlock (heritage architect), Willem du Plessis (architect from Nieu Bethesda), Archibald Norval, Liz Buisman, Ann Murray (founder member of the Graaff-Reinet Heritage Society) and Brian Hough (businessman and accountant). The chairperson appealed for younger, interested residents to join the committee to do the valuable work of preserving the buildings and beautiful streetscapes of our town.

In part this is what brings tourists and drives our economy.

Archibald Norval who lives and works remotely from Aberdeen presented an enlightening explanation of his work as the custodian of the BMW Brand Architecture and Corporate Identity in the Middle East.