Vandals continue to wreck historic sites
As Boksburg continues to lose its historic sites to vandalism, conservationist are demanding that authorities take action.
The endangered historical sites include the property that used to be the ERPM general manager’s house, located at 142 Pretoria Road, also known as ”The Oaks”.
There are also other mine properties in Woodlands, on the eastern side of Pretoria Road, opposite The Oaks, that are being left to fall apart or be vandalised.
Most of these properties have been almost completely stripped of their roofing materials and scavengers have apparently cut the phone and electricity wires, leaving the ground and wall with gaping holes.
Geysers, window and door frames are among the household material that have been stolen from the properties.
Large portions of the walls of the buildings have already collapsed, due to the apparent vandalism.
Concerned residents said the biggest threat to the structures may be the slow, brick-by-brick looting, as well as the theft of roofing material.
The corrugated iron, used for home-building (shacks) is allegedly a hot item on the black market.
Ward councillor Hillary Coke strongly condemns the vandalism of the iconic buildings, adding that the structures in questions are more than 60 years old.
They are on the list of supposedly protected heritage sites and designed by Sir Herbert Baker (the architect of the Union Buildings).
Other concerned conservationists said the properties are under threat from the pressures of the modern world, and appeal to authorities to protect what is left.
They warned that Boksburg’s development has aggressively swallowed up dozens of historic sites in the town.
The Ekurhuleni Metro acknowledged that it is aware of the vandalism and damage to one such building located on Pretoria Road, on the southern side of Main Reef Road.
According to the spokesperson for the metro, Themba Gadebe, in a joint operation the metro and the Provincial Heritage Resources Agency (PHRAG) are carrying out investigations to determine the root cause of damages to the building.
He, however, stated that the site is not managed by the metro and thus is not captured on the city’s heritage asset register.
“A full heritage survey of heritage sites owned and managed by the municipality will soon be carried out in order for a full heritage database to be compiled,’ said Gadebe.
The database will be used to determine the various categories of heritage sites and how the National Heritage Act can be enforced to protect them from vandalism. -@FanieFKL
Building vandalised: Boksburg’s heritage under threat
