FOLLOWING an article in Berea Mail last week on the mural that has been painted on the boundary wall at Manning Road Methodist Church, Amafa / Heritage KwaZulu Natal, the provincial heritage conservation agency for the province, released a statement to Berea Mail saying the church wall was protected under the Durban Listing of Important Places and Buildings and under the Apendix 7 to the Town Planning Scheme.
Ros Devereux, Head of the Built Environment Section of KZN Amafa and Research Institute, said this meant that a permit should have been obtained from both the municipality and the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (the KZN Amafa and Research Institute) prior to the graffiti being painted on the wall.
“The Institute would not have given approval as paint is extremely difficult to remove from brickwork. It traps moisture into the wall that will over time force the face of the bricks to pop off, resulting in extensive and expensive repairs,” she said.
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Devereux said the public should be aware that all structures on the site of a listed building are protected and all structures over 60 years of age are generally protected, meaning that a permit is required for action such as this.
“This is a case of good intentions leading to a very bad outcome that must be rectified as soon as possible to avoid the damage referred to. I will be contacting the church in this regard,” she said.
Devereux said municipal by-laws control the erection of signage of any sort so comment should be sought from City Architecture Department on whether it would approve such a move on a listed structure at a busy intersection.
Amafa / Heritage KwaZulu Natalwas established as a statutory body in terms of the KZN Heritage Act of 1997, later replaced by the KZN Heritage Act of 2008.
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