Durban needs own historical museum

AWHILE ago I was in Cape Town and visited the District Six museum. It’s a very popular tourist attraction on the tourist beat and well worth a visit.

Similar to District Six, Durban has its Block AK and Warwick Triangle but no museum of our history and therefore no tourist attraction or reminder of the past.

I was in town the other day for a meeting and one of my assistants was with me in the car. I deviated past Block AK and asked him what he knew about it. “Nothing” was the answer. I got onto my usual subject, history.

Does anyone know this history and does anyone care?

I googled Block AK and found that “the dispute” was about to be resolved. Nothing else.

I googled Warwick Triangle and had less success. I believe that the “dispute” has been “about to be resolved” for 40 years and will probably be “about to be resolved” for the next 40.

For those who don’t know, this property was expropriated from owners of all races to be set aside for use and occupation by whites. Expropriation was “with compensation”.

Some expropriation values were successfully contested.

Imagine a secure residential estate on this site with affordable housing for perhaps 1000 families or more, within walking distance of beaches, the city centre and schools.

Imagine how it would change people’s lives, not having to pay extra for transport. Durban needs central, affordable housing.

Invariably, if Block AK or Warwick Triangle were ever “resolved”, then the land values would be very high, ensuring exclusive housing near the CBD and keeping affordable housing to the outer fringes of our apartheidplanned city. PAUL BUTLER Durban