Relief at decision of archdiocese

Historic Athlone building to remain open

ATHLONE residents have hailed the Catholic archdiocese of Cape Town’s about-turn to keep the historic Catholic Welfare and Development (CWD) building in Lawrence Road open.

This followed the Save the Athlone Cultural Hub campaign initiated by residents, congregants of the local Catholic community and activists, appealing to the diocese for the building to remain open and for it to be declared a living heritage site.

CWD has been operating in Cape Town since 1970 to deal with the poverty and injustices suffered by underprivileged people.

The building was used for community outreach programmes focusing on the arts, social outreach, and the environment.

In a statement issued by the diocese, Archbishop of Cape Town Stephen Brislin said allegations that CWD planned to sell the building were untrue.

“The Athlone property has been in Catholic hands for over 70 years. I have indicated to the CWD’s board that I would like them to retain the property to be used for the welfare and other needs of the church.”

“Some property will have to be sold to pay CWD’s debt. After all debts have been paid, all remaining properties will be transferred to the archdiocese to be used for future welfare and development work,” he said.

CWD was the legal owner of the property, and while it is the welfare arm of the archdiocese, it is autonomous and runs its own affairs under the direction of its board, according to Brislin.

Last year, CWD issued retrenchment letters to all 49 members of its staff, citing “the dire state of CWD finances and ever-increasing liabilities”.

CWD had reportedly racked up debts of almost R18 million due to mismanagement and there may have already been a decision to sell the property to make way for student accommodation.

The property houses a garden used for a feeding scheme prior to the drought, constructed in tribute to Struggle icons Coline Williams and Robert Waterwitch.

The ashes of Waterwitch’s mother, Hettie Coetzee-Waterwitch, were scattered in that garden.

Waterwitch’s uncle and congregant Basil Snayer wrote to Brislin, appealing to the archdiocese to not sell off “such a precious and useful commodity”.

Organisations which run programmes from the building include the Mountain Club of South Africa, Revolutionary Yoga and the Athlone Academy of Music, and it has a reading room with about 30 000 classic books and 10 000 educational films.

CWD was granted an interim interdict against Athlone hub co-ordinator Andre Marais for “orchestrating” illegal occupation of the property.

Save the Athlone Cultural Hub campaign spokesperson Shaheed Mahomed said they welcomed Brislin’s public commitment to not sell the building.

“His gesture goes a long way in appeasing the Athlone community’s fears about the potential loss of one of the few functioning cultural spaces in the area. The Save the Athlone Cultural Hub has also expressed our willingness to open up all channels of communication with His Grace to negotiate the resumption of the core community outreach programme work of the Athlone Cultural Hub,” he said.

He said the campaign remained hopeful that the archbishop would enter into a mediation process about allowing these initiatives to continue and for the remaining issues to be resolved through dialogue.

Approached for comment, Marais said he chooses not to comment on the archbishop’s statement for now, as it was meant for Catholic parishioners.

“I have always placed my hopes on the wisdom and intervention of His Grace and that mediation will resolve the remaining issues.

“Mediation is a better platform to discuss outstanding issues and I would prefer not to respond to remaining questions,” he said.