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Tuesday 19 July 2011
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Criminals hit holy ground in Kalk Bay
Historic church plagued by crime DALEEN FOUCHÉ
T
HE Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Kalk Bay has seen an increase in criminal activity, but locals seem hesitant to give the construction of a fence the go-ahead for fear that it will compromise the area’s aesthetic value. Kevin Wyndham-Quin, warden of the church, maintains that the church’s management has always struggled with criminal activities on the grounds, but says the situation has escalated over the past year, resulting in the plan for the construction of a palisade fence. Wyndham-Quin says the church is planning to draw up a petition of support for the fence in the face of opposition from residents. In the most recent criminal incident, an elderly woman was accosted on the church grounds on Thursday 14 July. The 70-year-old woman, a member of the church, was walking on church grounds towards her home when she noticed a man following her. He approached her in a “loud and aggressive” manner, but the woman ignored him and walked past him. He followed her, grabbed her buttocks and put his hand up her skirt. She screamed loudly and walked on at a fast pace, but the man kept following her. When she took out her cellphone, the suspect hesitated, but was not scared off. Only once the woman sought refuge at a friend’s house nearby did the man walk away. Wyndham-Quin says there are
criminal activities taking place on the church grounds on a daily basis. Illegal sexual activities, drug use, intimidation, theft and even an incident of rape are but some of the incidents that have plagued this historic church ground. He says all of the church’s copper fittings and pipes have been stolen, and had to be replaced with plastic fittings. The Muizenberg police could, however, not confirm this. “I have to pick up used condoms on a daily basis,” he says. The historic church was built by John Gainsford in 1873 with local sandstone, taken from the Kalk Bay mountains. The church recently began erecting a fence around the property for security reasons, but the Kalk Bay Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (KBRRA) stopped the process through a court order. Wyndham-Quin says the church studied the bylaws pertaining to building regulations, and was under the impression that planning permission was not necessary to erect a fence of that nature. But Roelf Jansen, chairperson of the KBRRA, says all changes to Kalk Bay buildings need the permission of Heritage Western Cape and the City of Cape Town. Wyndham-Quin says the church is currently in the process of legalising the fence and will meet with council for discussions within the week. He, however, says the ratepayers’ association and some neighbours also object to the aesthetic value of the fence. He says they argue that the fence will detract from the heritage value of the church, but Wyndham-Quin says the fence will help to “protect the heritage value”. Jansen says the association is acting on behalf of
JIVING WITH MADIBA: The puppets from ZA News celebrated Madiba’s 93rd birthday at the South African Jewish Museum yesterday. This event also coincided with cartoon legend Jonathan Shapiro’s exhibition, enti tled “Jiving with Madiba”. Shapiro is better known as Zapiro. the ratepayers to safeguard “heritage resources”. He says that the church is an important heritage resource and the association wants to ensure that the fence does not “spoil the view” of other residents. Jansen, however maintains that the association is not against a fence and supports efforts to safeguard themselves. He suggests that the church employ a security guard while waiting for legal permission to build a
fence. Wyndham-Quin says he is sometimes called out in the middle of the night when there is “trouble”, and is very “stressed” about the situation. He says he is most worried about the safety of the priest and five families living on the church premises. “Church members are scared to come to church,” he says. “We only ask that the residents and ratepayers support the fence and the safety of the people.”
Captain Stephen Knapp, Muizenberg police spokesperson, says no reports of criminal activities at the Holy Trinity Church have been reported to the police. He says that a suspect was recently arrested in Kalk Bay in connection with break-ins. Knapp urges the community to report any criminal activity to the police, in order for police to act accordingly. To sign the petition, contact the church on (021) 788-1641.
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