Heritage Cases

During a recent flooding and high seas event which effected much of the coastal areas of the Western Cape the wall which surrounds the Kraaltjie Public Slipway was damaged as a small section of the wall on the inside of the structure collapsed. The extend of the damage was centred around a relatively small area measuring approximately 5mx1mx1.5m. The wall itself measures around 43 meters in length. The issue at this stage is that it not only poses a danger to recreational users (boating) but also to the general public as a slipway boarders a build-up parking area. Also, most of the rocks/sandstone which collapsed is now covering the floor of the slipway. The Kraaltjie, also referred to as "Ou Jettie" (Old Slipway) was constructed by Anders Ohlsson during 1903/4 who was a known businessman from Cape Town who owned extensive property on the western side of the Breede Estuary. A wooden extension was added at the front of the enclosed structure (Kraaltjie) in order to accommodate a huge steam ship called the "Chub". This wooden extension was later demolished/disappeared. Between the 1930;s and 1960's the Kraaltjie reverted to the then Department of Agriculture and was in 1960 leased to Freddie Hopley who in the same year bought the adjacent Oysterbeds Hotel. A section of the eastern wall of the Kraaltjie collapsed in the late 1940's and was only repaired in 1970 by Hans Oosthuizen from the local municipality. Maintenance was again done to the walls 1973 and the whole eastern wall had to be rebuild in 1974 as the previous one collapsed. This wall again needed repairing in 1993 as well as 2003. Current repairs entails the following: - The sandstone rocks which has been deposited on the slipway floor due to the collapse of a section of the eastern wall will have to be removed by a excavator and deposited at a safe place in the vicinity. - Shutter board will be used to enclose the section of the wall which has collapsed. - The top of the wall is still in place but will be removed on top of the affected area. - Quick setting concrete will be used to fill up the hole, but as the concrete is poured the sandstone rocks that was removed will be put back in its original place. - Top will be resurfaced.