Cape Town names seven footbridges after influential past citizens
Seven South Africans — born and naturalised — who had an impact on Cape Town were on Wednesday recognised by the City with the naming of footbridges in their honour.
We come from a divided past and very sad history,” said Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille.
“All these individuals we are honouring today played a role in bridging those divides.”
During its celebrations ahead of Heritage Day, the City unveiled the names of seven footbridges.
These names were selected following a public participation process run throughout the year.
The seven names chosen were Father John Oliver, /A!kunta, Taliep Petersen, Father Basil Van Rensburg, poet Ingrid Jonker, Dawid Kruper, and Imam Abdullah ibn Abdus Salaam, fondly known as Tuan Guru.
De Lille discussed each of the icons and their contribution to the Cape.
“/A!kunto was the first contributor to the Wilhelm Bleek and Lucy Lloyd Archive of /xam and !kun texts,” she said of his contribution to indigenous archives.
Of Tuan Guru, regarded as the father of Islam in South Africa, De Lille spoke of his incarceration on Robben Island during the 1700s.
“He wrote several copies of the Holy Qur’an from memory.”
De Lille acknowledged the cultural contributions made by Jonker and performer Petersen, referring to them as iconic and well-loved.
Fathers Oliver and Van Rensburg were remembered for their work in the liberation struggle and beyond.
De Lille also recalled meeting Dawid Kruiper, leader of the Khomani San.
“I recall meeting him outside Parliament on 18 August 2004 when he had come all the way from Upington to Cape Town to see then-president Thabo Mbeki,” she said.
On that occassion, De Lille had offered Kruiper a chair and called Mbeki herself when the Khomani San leader was made to wait too long.
Summing up, De Lille said the seven, although all passed away, had played an instrumental role in “bridging divides”.
“They took up the fight for equality, emancipation, and recognition of people’s rights in various forms,” she said.
The families of those honoured also gave their feelings on having footbridges named after their loved ones.
Father Oliver’s family said he had always been a bridge builder and recalled how proud he was of a bridge he had helped to construct in Cape Town.
Petersen’s children recalled how their father would unite people from different backgrounds through his work.
“As we drive along this road, may we reflect on the legacy and teachings of those heroes and be mindful of the road that lies ahead,” said De Lille.
File photo: Gallo images