Picketing for preservation: The fight to save Gilray campsite

Scores of people from the Save Gilray Committee held a picket in Grassy Park at the corner of Victoria Road and Prince George Drive on Friday, September 19.

They were displaying signs with “Save Gilray,” “Hands off Gilray” and “Greedy Hands off Gilray”,,  to create awareness of the old Gilray campsite that has become derelict. 

They also collected just under 300 signatures from passing motorists to gather support for Gilray. Save Gilray Committee group member, David Benjamin, said: “We received a positive response from the community that is interested in preserving this space as a heritage site."

The municipal property between Klip Road, Victoria Road, and Prince George Drive has been leased to the scouting movement since the 1950s. In recent years, the building’s structures and toilets have been vandalised, the fence has been broken, fires have broken out on the site, and alleged criminal activities have taken place on that property.

Since the end of November, there has been no scout activity on the site. The city also made plans for a cemetery to be developed at the site, though it cancelled that plan after a negative meeting at a subcouncil.

The Save Gilray Committee group was formed over a month ago after the Special Action Committee Education group held a community meeting in July. (“Grassy Park residents voice concerns over the future of the Gilray campsite, Southern Mail, August 6)

Mr Benjamin said they would like Gilray to be a place that can help develop the youth in the community.

“We need space for them, we can’t have them being gangsters because they have nothing to do, so we are hoping that the City of Cape Town can keep it as a heritage site,” he said.

City spokesperson, Luthando Tyhalibongo said the future use of the property is currently under review.

“This process includes consultations with various City departments to determine whether the property is required for operational purposes. Should it be deemed non-essential, it will be classified as surplus to the City’s requirements and disposed of through a competitive process,” he said.

Mr Tyhalibongo said any future disposal or redevelopment will follow the due statutory process, including public participation.

Another Save Gilray Committee member, Terrence Klassen said they want to prevent the city from selling off the Gilray site and also want a clear heritage impact assessment done on the site.

“The information we received from the city council is that they will be meeting with various stakeholders and get back to us,” he said.

Grassy park resident, Moira Manuel, who lives on Klip Road opposite the old Gilray site, said she wants the history and heritage to be remembered for what Gilray stood for.

“When I moved to Grassy Park as a teenager, I used to see scout activity, and it used to host Christmas parties for the community,” she said.

Ms Manuel said they would like this to be a place to uplift the youth in the community.

During the past few weeks, there has been tree-felling activity at the Gilray site.

The City's mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment, Eddie Andrews, said the City is currently implementing control operations to get rid of invasive tree species like the Acacia saligna, Eucalyptus gum trees, certain pine trees, and Rooikrans trees.

Mr Andrews said they are following the guidelines of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) and associated regulations on the management of invasive species.