RESIDENTS and volunteers at the Durban Botanic Gardens’ Tea Garden are saddened by its closure following many years of service to the community and visitors to the Gardens.
Volunteer Vera Howard said she was very sad to hear the news of this well-known Durban ‘institution’.
“Myself and my church do volunteer duties there once a quarter serving at the counter and there are ladies employed in the kitchen baking the Botanic Gardens’ famous scones and crumpets. It is one of Durban’s best tea garden spaces in the most beautiful garden in the city, surely all they needed was a little more publicity,” she said.
EThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the closure comes after the Natal Anti-Tuberculosis Association (NATBA) advised eThekwini’s City Estates Department of their intention to terminate their lease at the Durban Botanic Gardens Tea Garden at the end of February. However, he said NATBA and City Estates were still in negotiations.
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NATBA was formed in 1932 on the initiative of Charles James. He and Mabel James erected the tea garden kiosk in the Durban Botanic Gardens as a charity endeavour whereby profits from the tea garden would go to the cause of tuberculosis under the banner of NATBA. The Tea Garden Kiosk was launched in 1963 along with the assistance of multiple church groups, women’s institutes and various other organisations. Funds generated by the tea kiosk were used to provide food parcels for indigent tuberculosis patients who could not take their medication on an empty stomach.
The tea garden has over the years become renowned for its scones and crumpets served under umbrellas in a natural garden setting and become a popular venue with locals and visitors from overseas. The tea kiosk has been assisted daily by volunteers.
“The Durban Botanic Gardens is committed to retaining a tea garden facility in the Gardens. Renovation work is being undertaken to upgrade the facility acknowledging that the tea garden has served an important social cause and service to visitors to the Gardens for many years. Part of the planned renovations include the upgrade to the outdoor eating area and new nature-based children’s play area that will be developed to enhance the family friendly nature of the tea garden facility,” said Mayisela.
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