WATCH: Once stately town hall in a shocking state
"The gardens were magnificent and all Benonians had their photographs taken there and some had their wedding receptions in the town hall,”
During a Facebook Live done by the City Times last week, our readers wasted no time in voicing their displeasure at the state of the Benoni Town Hall, with many lambasting the City of Ekurhuleni for leaving the historical landmark in a state of decay.
Janet Cochran Friskin, whose late mother Lorna Cochran also slammed the municipality for neglecting the facility, said the dreadful state of the hall left her speechless.
“I don’t know what to say. Every part of our once beautiful country is wrecked. I wish we could find a way to get back the stolen money. How would they like their homes to look like this?” she asked.
Another Facebook reader, Anna Ferreira, stated she was shocked by how one of Benoni’s historical facilities was left to rot.
“It’s shocking to see this pride of a few years back is now a rubbish dump. Where does the money to maintain it go?”
When the Benoni City Times visited the facility on June 7, it was in a dreadful state with overgrown grass.
Despite its intrinsic architectural beauty, imposing frontage with the striking central tower rising above the façade on Princes Avenue still intact, the white paint which adorns the entire building is fading while the paint is peeling off.
Further down on the second entrance on Woburn Avenue, grass and blackjacks are at home on the stairs leading to the teak door. The rest of the doors have mould on the corners with a few visible cracks.
The windows, painted dark blue to complement the white that surrounds the building, are dusty with a few broken ones patched with boxes while some are painted white from bird faeces.
The garden, where many Benonians shared memorable moments, is overgrown.
The memorial site dedicated to the fallen heroes from World War One and Two is surrounded by thick vegetation and grass.
Deryn Preston de Beer remembers the facility for its beauty and the fun moments it offered to many Benonians.
“This can’t be allowed to happen to such a historic landmark in our town. The gardens were magnificent and all Benonians had their photographs taken there. Some even hosted their wedding receptions in the town hall,” De Beer said.
The hall was built in the 1930s and was known as a striking architectural landmark. It has a seating of around 1 200 and be used for different purposes, including weddings, meetings and concerts.
The paper has sent a query to the City of Ekurhuleni. No comment has been received at the time of going to print.
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