Acase of malicious damage to property has been opened with the Strand police following a brazen and senseless desecration of what has become an iconic Assemble sculpture along the Strand Beach promenade.
In full view of onlookers and in broad daylight, a man relentlessly attacked the Lionel Smit sculpture at the intersection of Sarel Cilliers Street late on Saturday afternoon (19 March).
A video of the incident posted on social media prompted widespread condemnation from the community and spurred neighbourhood watch groups to search and apprehend the suspect, which was successfully executed by Strand Neighbourhood Watch the next day.
“The watch sent us the video and it was sad to see someone going to this extent to cause damage to the sculpture,” said Monique Bredell, director at Lionel Smit Studios.
“When you put something up in public, you know there is a risk of vandalism, so we knew something could happen. It’s just sad and disappointing to see the extent to which the guy went to cause the damage estimated at between R20 000 and R30 000.”
Bredell expressed gratitude to the watch members who spent hours searching for the suspect until he was found on Sunday afternoon.
“They really went above and beyond for us, and we are extremely appreciative and thankful for their tireless and dedicated service to our community,” she said.
Bredell confirmed she opened a case with Strand police on Tuesday (22 March) and that they were cooperating with the police on the matter. The sculpture has since been removed.
Strand police spokesperson Warrant Officer Nico Beukes confirmed a case of malicious damage to property is being investigated.
According to Philip Versfeld of Strand Neighbourhood Watch, three videos of the incident were received from a resident of Hibernian Towers, located opposite the sculpture, as soon as it occurred.
The footage clearly shows a man attempting to push one of the statues installed in Beach Road from its podium in full view of motorists passing by and people walking along the promenade. After several attempts, the man succeeds in toppling the statue from its base and it lands with a loud bang on the cobbled walkway.
“Instantly, after the control room operators had shared the videos to our watch patrollers group, the members mobilised in search of the suspect clearly identifiable from the footage,” Versveld said. “The name and area where the suspect had been found by patrollers in the past was shared and a search in and around the CBD ensued, all to no avail.”
Versfeld said Lionel Smit Studios, Future Strand and the City of Cape Town, all of whom were involved in the installation of the statues on Beach Road, were informed so the matter could be reported to the local police.
“At 17:30 on Sunday (20 March), one of the watch patrollers spotted the suspect in Beach Road. Back-up was requested and it was confirmed that it was, indeed, the same man from the video footage. The police were informed and arrived on the scene, and arrested the suspect and took him to Strand Police Station for further processing.”
Ward 83 councillor Carl Punt also weighed in on the matter, stating that all forms of vandalism must be condemned in the strongest way possible. “From residents, businesses, artists and organisations such as Future Strand and the City, our aim is to build an environment in Strand where tourism and local businesses can create a market for a better future,” he pointed out.
“After the last two years of lockdown regulations we all deserve to be given the opportunity to build an inclusive economy that will contribute to job creation.”V Continues on page 2.
