NEWCASTLE KZN: Signal Hill cross repaired in time for Easter

The cross will shine brightly again, just in time for Easter.

The repair work is underway. Photo: Johan Pieters.

The cross atop Signal Hill shines as a beacon of faith which can be seen across Newcastle.

Businessman, Johan Pieters of the Champ Group said to him, this symbolised the fact that God’s hand is upon the town. Recently, however, he and his team noticed the cross seemed to be broken and showed definite signs of wear and tear.

“Every night when we drive home from work, we saw the cross didn’t look like a cross anymore and it seemed like the fittings were broken. Thank goodness for Facebook ‘Memories’ which showed up on our timeline the last time we played a part in getting the cross fixed, six years ago,” chuckled Pieters.

Deciding to take action once again, Pieters reached out via social media and in a matter of hours, all costs to repair the costs were taken care of.

“Champ Group cares about the community and we are also a Christian based company. We deal with and respect all religions, as our valued business partners, clients and friends all know,” explained Pieters.

He thanked the following businesses and people, who came on board to assist in fixing the cross:

NTT Isuzu/Honda Newcastle – sponsored all globes and fittings
Eazi Access Rental – hired machinery to be able to complete the repair work
Johan Strauss – a local electrician who is fixing and fitting globes and other fixtures at a very low cost
Newcastle Gearbox Exchange – financial assistance in paying for the electrician
The Champ Group – organisers, who will also provide financial assistance in paying for the electrical work needed.

“The Newcastle Mall also showed their willingness to assist but everything has already been taken care of,” confirmed Pieters.

He added that Easter is a very important and special time of the year for the Christian community, as it was the time Jesus died for the sins of humanity and also symbolised the resurrection of Jesus for humankind.