Amid all the noise associated with the demolition of the iconic Strandfontein Pavilion were the applause at the official sod-turning ceremony on 24 March, from councillors finally seeing the fruits of their “40 years” of lobbying, and grumbling from local lifeguards finding themselves without access to the club they had been operating from the 1970s, the result of a breakdown in communications and an escalation in the timeline of the demolition.

Proportional councillor Bernie Clark confirmed the breakdown in communication, while subcouncil 17 chair Elton Jansen and project manager Jude Carolissen said they would meet with the club to address their concerns about how the multi-million rand upgrade, its construction and aftermath, would impact them.

“None of us knew about this demolition,” said Shaun Roux, the Strandfontein Surf and Lifesaving Club’s vice chair. He said lifeguards arrived for duty that morning and found their club’s entrance cordoned off and the access to their equipment barred. However, through city councillors, the Mayor and the project manager they were able to have their access restored.

Sod turning

The official sod-turning was only ceremonial since construction had begun earlier this year. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis called the event a “landmark day”.

He recalled when Jansen had brought him to the pavilion four years ago, before his tenure as mayor had begun, and introduced him to residents who had fond memories of the pavilion of yore.

“I felt a sense of sadness that yes, we had this magnificent tidal pool, but all these public amenities and the restaurants and the nightclub and this beautiful community space had been lost to the storms and the waves and the wind over the years and had fallen into disrepair.”

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Hill-Lewis also acknowledged councillor Danny Christians whom he said had been “fighting this fight for 40 years.”

“Danny has fought the fight to say this is not a dead barren coastline. This is a coastline for people. It’s for the people of Cape Town, for the people of Mitchells Plain. And we said what we have to do is start somewhere significant; we have to have a node, a lighthouse point from there the light stretches along the coastline. I am very confident that in the years ahead what rises up here out of the ground is going to be that lighthouse that you dreamt of.”

“Teeth of the southeaster”

Hill-Lewis said a “third of R1,3 billion” would be invested in the upgrade.

“We’re not going small,” he said, adding that the design would need to withstand the worst of Capetonian weather.

“This has got to put up with the worst. The teeth of the southeaster, the salt air, the wind, the storms, so this has to be built with the best quality. We are not sparing, we’re not doing a lick of paint here ladies and gentlemen, we’re doing the best. The best this is going to be here for many, many decades to come for people to meet their future wives here as well.”

The City’s plan for the upgrade project includes:

• Total refurbishment and upgrading of the precinct
• New commercial and restaurant spaces
• A brand new NSRI base and boat launch ramp
• Indoor event and concert space for weddings, birthdays and conferences
• Outdoor concert space in an open air amphitheatre
• Transformation of the pavilion into a hive of activity for use throughout the year
• Improved access to the beach for the disabled
• Better safety and security

On his WhatsApp channel Jansen added: “It marks a huge milestone in ward 43 for the Strandfontein Pavilion with a R300 million investment into the upgrade.”

He added: “The building will include a new facility for the NSRI. The Strandfontein Lifesavers as well as the 9Miles organisation. A new slipway for boat launching for the NSRI rescue missions will also be included.”