Calls for Old Town Hall in Alberton to become museum

The Alberton Heritage Society calls for preserving SA history and keeping the heritage of Albertonians.

It recently came to the founder of the Alberton Heritage Society’s attention that the Old Town Hall in Alberton North was up for demolition.

However, she said no person may alter or demolish any structure older than 60 years without a permit.

With Alberton’s rich history in mind, the founder of the Alberton Heritage Society stressed that the Old Town Hall could ideally become Alberton’s own museum.

The Old Town Hall was built in 1919, making it 105 years old this year. It is a part of Alberton’s history and would be the perfect place to establish a museum, providing learning opportunities for the youth and community of Alberton.

“This was built by private funding, not by government funding. It was given to the town by the town’s people, and they’re [CoE] now just letting it go derelict. They knocked out all the bathrooms and were going to change it. We went to the Supreme Court with AfriForum and had a court order against them for demolishing it,” she explained.

Expressing her concern about its state, she said the parks department was supposed to mow the grass, and she had since notified them.

“Even the 9th Avenue cemetery is well maintained. We look after it out of our pockets. Our guys help, and I pay for the petrol weekly to mow the lawn. My argument is, why should we fight with officials to do their jobs despite them getting salaries?” she asked.

The premises, guarded by one security guard, has reportedly had no power for at least four years, leading to break-ins and vandalism. As a result, the building has deteriorated in recent years, leaving the site in complete ruin and an appalling state.

The ablutions were demolished, floor tiling stripped off and the facility’s hall has piles of municipal property that have gathered dust for years.

Historical significance

The Alberton North site has a rich history worthy of sharing with all. The founder said the Old Town Hall would make a fantastic heritage museum.

“It’s a Gerard Moerdyk building with heritage status. It’s a community hall. We used to vote here and tried to get it as a museum. We did the layout of the floor and the plans of how we would use this as a space where we would have created 150 jobs,” she explained.

On the contrary, Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said as far as he knows, there must be a public notice issued by the municipality should such action be carried out.

“We understand these are public facilities. We don’t just demolish. We will consider a resolution, but individuals cannot make that decision. It wouldn’t make sense to demolish it because the site is part of our history. In everything we do, we don’t shy away from that fact. We would rather repurpose it,” he said.

When asked about the city’s plan for the site, he said he would have to check with the city’s Real Estate.