New hope for War Memorial

It’s been two weeks since the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I on November 11, 1918.

When many honoured those who died in the war in well-known and well-kept sites, Kensington resident Richard Brooksbank chose to remember those who have been forgotten.

On the morning of the Armistice Commemoration Day, Brooksbank invited friends and family to help him clean up the Bezuidenhout Valley World War I memorial and lay wreaths.

He said he wanted to honour the local men who fell during the war who seem to be forgotten.

The Bez Valley memorial commemorates 63 Bez Vally residents who were killed in 1914 to 1918.

Also read: War memorial to possibly be moved

The memorial is not well known and visited by few people because of its condition.

The historical memorial is currently in shambles and the fountain in disrepair.

A plaque with the war heroes’ names engraved is covered in soot from the fires allegedly made by vagrants.

The site has become a spot for drinking and other social ills.

Over the years it has been a burning issue of concern for residents and the heritage society to save and restore the memorial.

Also read: Bez Valley war memorial to get a revamp

The EXPRESS spoke to Brooksbank to find our why cleaning the memorial was important to him and what he would like to see happen in order for it to be saved.

“I have driven past the memorial almost every day for the last 25 years and noticed the gradual deterioration of the area around the memorial, but the plaque remained largely intact.

“In May I noticed fires had been lit around the memorial, causing damage to the marble name plaques, and also that the fountain had been broken. After that, the condition of the memorial became worse and there was nothing happening to either restore the memorial or prevent further damage. I was concerned because it symbolises something important in the area.

“It seemed to me that the small war memorial in Bez Valley, and the men it commemorates, had been completely forgotten. I thought that it was important to mark the occasion by cleaning the memorial so that at least the names of the men it commemorates could be seen and remembered,” explained Brooksbank.

He said the memorial is currently not safe because of where it is situated and the idea of moving it should be considered.

Also read: Community rallies behind memorial clean-up through A Re Sebetseng

“I would like to see the memorial fully restored to its original state so the names of all of the men can be viewed and remembered. If the memorial cannot be restored, then a new memorial should be built and moved. It is not respected where it is currently situated. As the memorial commemorates residents of Bez Valley, I personally think it would be best to keep the memorial within the boundaries of the suburb,” expressed Brooksbank.

He said the Bez Valley Farmhouse Park would be the best spot for the memorial because the Rotary club meets there and they can look after it.

Another person who shares the same sentiment is Observatory resident Katherine Munro. She said the site where the memorial is situated is surrounded by a number of challenges.

“The memory of the 63 men needs to be protected and preserved. The current site is not ideal for it because it has a number of social problems. Because of that, people don’t even care what the park stands for or what it’s about,” explained Munro.

She said wherever the memorial would be moved to it would need residents to look after it.

“It is the responsibility of every resident to understand the history of the memorial and respect, preserve and protect the memorial,” said Munro.

This is not the first time residents are expressing their concerns about the appalling conditions of the memorial.

In 2014 the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation organised restoration work, purchased trees, the wall behind the memorial was painted, the area cleaned and benches were put in at no cost to the city.

In November 2017 the EXPRESS reported that Joseph Dube had called on residents to help in preserving the World War 1 memorial.

In March 2018 Ward 66 councillor Carlos Da Rocha also organised a clean-up with local residents.

City of Joburg’s head of heritage Eric Itzkin said as the city they are also concerned about the memorial site.

“Discussions are still ongoing. Heritage architectures are busy developing a discussion document which assists in guiding us of how to best handle the issue. The idea of moving the memorial is not supported by all involved but we are looking into all avenues,” said Itzkin.

The city has previously said they have looked at two potential sites where they can move the memorial too.

The sites were Bez Valley Park and the military base in Kensington.

The conditions of the potential new site were that it should have good public access, as well as offer a secure and dignified environment.