Threatened Buildings in Braamfontein.

Our assistance was called in for two very old buildings in Braamfontein which contain some of the City’s most poignant memories. The oldest is the Town (later City Engineer’s) workshops which grew with the Town into a City and a City responsible for much of a burgeoning city – Soweto.

The second is the Smit Street Compounds which was built to house 1000 men who in the early days were the sanitary workers. Those very strong men who had the worst job in town – emptying the niughsoil buckets. Remember in Parktown water borne sewage arrived only in 1937 so for many many years the mule cars and later the tricks both known as Poo Wagons ploughed the sanitary lanes and streets emptying these foul-smelling buckets.

Eventually Johannesburg caught up with the Romans and waterborne sewerage meant a change is jobs. So they were trained as artisans in the workshops. Hard work in the foundry, less tiring in the carpenter’s shop, relatively light in the glaziers while some did more delicate work in the paint shop. More delicate, but probably enormously resented creating Apartheid signs “Net vir Blankes”.

So, here were two very old buildings of enormous historical significance offered for sale by the Johannesburg Property Company. Ignoring objections from the Johannesburg Public Library which had spent R20 million adapting the old very grimy spaces, another from, MODE the disability organisation which has a long lease on the old compound and The City’s own Heritage Department. Notwithstanding JPC continued with the sale. 

When we learned of this we wrote to the Executive Mayor in outrage. Was he really planning to get the Red Ants to evict the Librarians and the disabled?  We received a reply from his office:

Dear Flo This is to confirm that the City has no intention of demolishing the structures at 22 Solomon Street with their considerable heritage value, nor evicting the NPOs who currently do invaluable work for our society. We are currently engaging with the developer to establish what plans, if any, can go ahead for the site. We welcome the heritage plaques initiative, and while the Mayor might be busy that day, I’m sure we can arrange for another political principal to be there. Regards Nic Botha

Just to ensure no one forgets that these are protected buildings and that we have no intention of letting them go, we have erected two blue plaques at the entrance.

Photo No 6 The Workshops.   This plaque was unveiled by Raymond Cardoso whom some members will remember as one of our tour leaders. Raymond was the Acting Chief Architect put in charge of these workshops before they were finally closed. He had enormous admiration for the Master Craftsmen who ran the workshops and trained the artisans. Photo Number 4 Their work was immaculate and will certainly last into the next century. That standard can be seen in all the small transformer houses, libraries, the market and even the old public lavatories.  Photo 14 Raymond Cardoso expounding eloquently on the quality of the work to be seen all over the

City in buildings and other structures.  The plant-houses at the top of The Wilds (which JHF is intending restore) actually won an award in its day. It was designed in-house and constructed in-house. 

Photo No 11 The Smit Street Compound plaque was unveiled by Luli Callinicos who first alerted people to the significance of the Compounds and the huge role played by Migrant Labourers who lived under appallingly tough conditions. Number 19 shows her in the act of unveiling the plaque, Luli is a highly respected historian, author of Gold and the Workers published in 1981 and aimed at school children. She has continued writing history which sadly has not been used in many classrooms before 1994.

Photo 13 This all happened on 4th October 2019 which we felt was the right way to celebrate the City’s 133rd birthday.  The net day we had a tour of the site along with the Library’s big book sale.