Foundation laments sad state of Cradock Four memorial

0 of 3

Uncut grass, corroding concrete and material pieces with names of the monument’s honourees scattered on the ground describe the eyesore that the Cradock Four Garden of Remembrance has become.

Saddened by the dilapidated site meant to honour the town’s four fallen heroes, the Fort Calata Foundation has lambasted the government for neglecting the memorial, despite more than R40m pumped into it.

The foundation has called on the government to urgently institute a public-private partnership with the four families to manage the monument.

It has further spoken out against the neglect of former ANC secretary-general James Arthur Calata’s home in Lingelihle township.

The garden, which overlooks the burial sites of Sicelo Mhlauli, Mathew Goniwe, Fort Calata and Sparrow Mkhonto, is in honour of the four men who had been returning to Cradock from a United Democratic Front meeting in Port Elizabeth when they were abducted by apartheid security police.

They were tortured, stabbed and shot to death. Their lifeless bodies were burnt in their car in 1985.

Lukhanyo Calata, the son of Fort, said he had been saddened by the state of the memorial when he visited earlier this month. The government had failed to honour the four anti-apartheid activists, he said.

“This is the second time that this memorial has been allowed to fall into disrepair,” Calata said.

What was meant to serve as a beacon for the people of Cradock, and specifically for the community of Lingelihle, has become a blight and testament to the low regard in which our leaders in national, provincial and local government hold the sacrifice made by us and the other familie

“What was meant to serve as a beacon for the people of Cradock, and specifically for the community of Lingelihle, has become a blight and testament to the low regard in which our leaders in national, provincial and local government hold the sacrifice made by us and the other families.”

Mhlauli’s widow, Nombuyiselo supported the foundation’s call to establish a partnership to maintain the facility.

“Of course we can’t ask to be given the memorial without the right knowledge and resources to maintain it.

“We would like to be involved only on the basis that we are equipped with what is needed, otherwise it will just be another case of [dilapidation] if it’s given to families without resources,” Mhlauli said.

Eastern Cape department of arts and culture spokesperson Andile Nduna said the facility had been handed over to the Inxuba Yethemba municipality for maintenance in 2019 when then tourism minister Derek Hanekom unveiled it.

“The implication is that the heritage site is in the maintenance budget of Inxuba Yethemba local municipality.

“The department would thus formally engage the municipality who are custodians of the heritage site to establish the facts.

“This will also include facts regarding the Calata house as the municipality would be in a better place to shed light on the matter,” Nduna said.

Questions were sent to Inxuba Yethemba municipal spokesperson Kuhle September but no response was received by print deadline.