5 to 12 at City Hall

The Port Elizabeth City Hall really is one of the most beautiful historic buildings in Port Elizabeth.  Did you know City Hall was originally built between 1858 and 1862 with the clock tower being added in 1883.

Swartkops Power Station

The Swartkops Power Station next to the Swartkops River is one of those landmarks that has become part of the city scape over the years yet I don't think a lot of people know much about it.  So in case you don't know its story, here goes.

 

The provision of electricity in Port Elizabeth begun in 1906 with the establishment of the Electricity Works.  This supplied fifteen private consumers and thirty street lamps with electricity.  As industry in the area grew and the volume of exports from the Karoo and Uitenhage areas increased, so Port Elizabeth found itself battling to cope.  Its distance from the Eskom network and the load centres in the north suggested to the Council that they should construct their own power station.  Permission for this was granted and the Mount Road Power Station was in operation by 1925.

 

The demand for electricity grew even more rapidly.   In the latter part of the 1940s, the Port Elizabeth Municipality turned to Eskom for assistance and by 1949 it was decided that Eskom would establish a power station in the area to assist the municipal supply.  The plans were that the power station would be built in the Swartkops area of Port Elizabeth, drawing its water supply from the river of the same name.

 

Although Eskom built the power station, the Port Elizabeth Municipality offered to purchase it making Swartkops the only time Eskom has ever sold one of its power stations.  The Swartkops Power Station commenced operation on Saturday, 1 May 1954 with the Mount Road Power Station kept available until November just in case something went wrong in the early stages. 

 

By the mid-1980s Eskom had more than enough power available to adequately service the whole country.  Due to South Africa's political isolation the economic growth slowed and consequently Swartkops was deemed to be unnecessary and taken out of regular operation in 1986.

 

By 1995 Swartkops was called back to service with the operation helping the city to limit its demand on Eskom.  The following year however, saw Eskom offered the Municipality a tariff structure that made the power station, by now 42 years old, uneconomical.  Today the buildings stands empty after being sold to a private company by the municipality for less than R4-million and who, "within weeks" sold off the turbines for a profit of more than R30-million, according to well-placed sources within the municipality. 

 

There are no immediate plans for the station as far as I can gather and how long it will still form part of the PE landscape one can only guess.

Walmer Police Station

I had to pop into the Walmer Police Station to pick up a document that I had been waiting for for more than three years already. At least I have it now.  The police station covers a huge area that includes the suburbs of Walmer and Charlo.  I couldn't find a lot of history on the police station itself other than the fact that Stephen Bantu Biko was detained here for 20 days in 1977 under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act before being taken elsewhere for interrogation.

Pleinhuis on Market Square

Standing on Market Square there is a number of historic and interesting buildings surrounding you.  I should actually do a whole series on that at some stage (now to just find the time to get down there and get some photos), but for now I'm just showing one of them.  Pleinhuis (plein as in square as in market square and huis means house) is one of the prime examples of Art Deco buildings in Port Elizabeth and is utilised by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

Pleinhuis

There is quite a number of interesting and historic buildings in the area around Market Square in the city centre. One of those which is just across the road from the City Hall is Pleinhuis. The building belongs to the municipality and houses amongst others the offices of the portfolio councillors on the mayoral committee. Like so many other buildings built in Port Elizabeth at that time, Pleinhuis was built in the Art Deco style. When I passed it the other day I noticed that, like so many places these days, it had its name changed. The new name is Noninzi Luzipho Building. I still think Pleinhuis is a suitable name as its on the plein (square as in Market Square). The Gargoyle birds from the other day's post is on top of Pleinhuis.

Gargoyle birds

On the top of Plein Huis across the road from Market Square there is a number ornamental birds. They actually look like they should rather be Gargoyles than birds, but what do I know about those ugly fellas that usually sit on top of buildings scanning the ground? My theory for these birds are that they were put there to stop actual birds from sitting on the top of the building messing on the walls and possible the heads of people walking past.

power drain

This blog seems to be taking on a life of its own. Soon we will retire our cameras and let you guys do all the work! In response to Jan de Wet's photo of the power wasting Post Office yesterday, Louise Eksteen sent this montage, with the following comment:
"Brian and I drove around on a Sunday evening, to see how our Council was contributing to the national effort to cut down on unnecessary use of power. Brian then sent these photos to our Councillor, Mr Slabbert, who agreed that it was terrible, and nothing more was done!"

The other pictures are of the Eric Tindale building [and the one across the street, forgot its name] and the Eben Dönges building, the Dept of Roads and Transport, Telkom’s building near the City Hall and the NMMU North [? old Technikon].

Eishkom blues.....

Another guest photographer today..... This stunning photo was sent to us by Jan de Wet, who has spectacular views of the bay from his home.

He wrote:

"I took the pic of the post office during a power outage in Richmond Hill(!) the owners of the building (South African Post Office) assured me that there were people working that night, however, I never told them that I have a 24-hour view of the building from my lounge and these lights have been on since Oct 2005 when we moved in!"

So while Eskom begs all South Africans to save power, it appears that not all are as co-operative as others .... another prime example of citizens being asked to tighten their belts while politicians and bureaucrats continue to expand their own waistlines!

This place could do with a re-birth

This tatty looking building (admittedly made worse by the fact that it was photographed through the windscreen on a wet and miserable day recently) is where a huge number of Port Elizabethans (including our son) were born... it is the old maternity wing of the Provincial Hospital. Definitely in need of some tlc, but given the abysmal state of the Health Department in this province, I imagine it is low on the list of priorities.

Lift off

Here's a view of the Port Elizabeth Airport that is not commonly seen. Viewed from across the runway, a plane clears the ground as it gets past the arrivals hall of the airport. (It is a little blurry, but as you will realise, it was moving really fast!) It doesn't matter how many times I see this, or how much I know about the theory of aerodynamics, I still find it awesome when a huge heavy metal object full of passengers flings itself into the air and defies gravity!

Public Swimming Bath

Well, it's hard not to look at this and be rendered speechless..... this rather ugly 1930s public swimming baths building is in St George's Park. Someone with a sense of humour obviously decided "if you can't beat them, join them!" and made it stand out like a sore thumb in the otherwise serene leafy park. The effect is enhanced by the spectacular flowers in front of the entrance!

Hideousness from the 80s

This is the Mount Road Police Station. It is hideous on many levels, the most apparent being the austere looking architecture which is typical of many apartheid era government buildings. There is a sort of repressive nazi look about them before you even know what went on inside. This building has a nasty history.

It was previously called Louis Le Grange Square, named after the then Minister of Law and Order, who was responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses that went on at the time. The notorious Security Branch had their offices on the fifth floor, and there were many deaths in detention which were put down as "the detainee committed suicide by jumping from the unbarred window to escape detention".... If you want to know more and are in the mood for some depressing reading, the TRC commission findings shed light on how the Security Police operated, and saw themselves as completely above the law. A dark period in South African History.

On a more positive note, you can see workers in the foreground, digging up the pavements. This is actually good news! Our previously state run Telecomunications supplier was "privatized" many years go, but has enjoyed a monopoly all this time, thus giving it freedom to overcharge and provide really shabby service. (Telkom also owns major shares in Vodacom, and regulate cell phone rates, so ours are very expensive.) Finally, a competitor has been licenced, and Neotel is busy digging up our streets at the moment to lay fibre-optic cable. Most of us are delighted to endure a bit of inconvenience if it means we might soon be getting a decent telephone service at competitive prices.

The wheels of Justice ....

This bright and cheerful looking building is part of the new section of the Law Courts in North End. It is a bit misleading, because most people who are going inside are far from cheerful. Whether you are a defendant, or a witness, usually the process of the trial is taxing for all.

Max and I found ourselves there this week to give evidence against an intruder we caught in October 2006. (18 months ago!!!!!) If you want to know more, you can read about the incident and the court here. I had to put my camera in a locker, but our cellphones with cameras were allowed....?!