On a small stretch of fence along the Emmarentia Dam wall, near the northern entrance to the Johannesburg Botanical Garden, is a small but growing collection of love locks.
The ritual of sweethearts affixing padlocks to bridges, fences, gates, and other public fixtures, dates back at least a 100 years. Usually inscribed with their names or initials, tradition has it that the key needs to be thrown away, to symbolise the unbreakable bond of love.
Since the 2000s, love locks have mushroomed at an increasing number of tourist attractions worldwide, and have come to be seen by many municipal authorities as visual pollution or vandalism.
In Paris, the weight of hundreds of thousands of love locks caused a section of railing on the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge to collapse over the River Seine. On 1 June the city started removing the love locks, and erecting a temporary exhibition of ‘love themed’ graffiti panels in their place. These will be replaced by clear acrylic panels later this year.
Wolfgang Phoenix, chairperson of the Emmarentia Resident’s Association said, “Here on home soil, we are supportive of the idea. We see it as a charming declaration of love, from a couple who have made a pact, a promise to each other. Structurally, it poses no threat to our dam wall. It’s in a fairly discreet location, and is not distracting to motorists. I think the biggest problem for Joburgers is having their ‘love’ stolen by scrap metal collectors.”
What do you think of love locks – fad or fab?
