GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - At the 47th AGM of the Graaff-Reinet Heritage Society on 23 November, the vandalism of the Angel Park monument was discussed.
A stone slab inscribed with the names of Coloured Corps Second World War soldiers as well as pieces of the metal plaques were 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 2,25m steel fence. Anyone interested in expressing their views about this issue, can send an email to Koos Grobbelaar, Chairperson of the Graaff-Reinet Heritage Society, at jpgrob@gmail.com
The 2022/23 committee members are 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 the economy.
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