John Jones, Melkbosstrand
I am writing in support of your editorial on the wooden bridge.
Spending R30 million on “restoring” the wooden bridge when many Capetonians don’t have even basic amenities is an immoral waste of money.
From the information given in your news article, it is clear that those who are supporting the project are attempting to dredge up all sorts of feeble justifications for the usefulness of the bridge, none of which are remotely convincing.
Additionally, the “restoration” won’t even be a restoration: it will be an imitation that resembles the original.A good photographic history display would achieve just as much at a minute fraction of the cost.
It is claimed that we are forced to repair it because it is a national monument. Generally, I approve of preserving national monuments, but, in this instance, very little is being preserved, and the product that will be created has very little value.
It would be much better to apply to Heritage Western Cape, or whomever has the required authority, for permission to remove the bridge and to create an appropriate historical display, perhaps on the website of the City of Cape Town.
This is definitely “A Bridge Too Far”.