Hospitality Business
Food Solutions
Beverage Solutions
Catering Equipment
Hotel Solutions
Furnishings & DecorThe preservation of an important centre of South African history, Curries Fountain - home of political rallies and sports activities - has received a multimillion-rand injection from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.
A portion of the funding will be used by the City Campus Restoration Project, which is concerned with preserving the architectural heritage of the 100-year-old building, and the Research of Curries and Surrounds (ROCS) project.
The ROCS project leader, Len Rosenberg, said they would receive about R1.5 million to enable the research team to continue with their work.
"The donation allows us to carry on with our project full steam ahead, whereas, in the past, finance was always a constraint, so the research has been dormant for a while," he said.
Launched in 2007, the ROCS project has been documenting the history of the area - including the Scala cinema, Curries Fountain stadium, Wills Road, Ducheens and Kit Kat Cafe - where many Durban Indians grew up before the imposition of the Group Areas Act.
"Most of the former essentially non-white areas in the country, like District Six, have been destroyed. But here it still exists to a large extent.
"We need to capture that history," said Rosenberg.
Among the planned projects is an exhibition, Soccer at Curries.
It will feature photographs of games that took place at Curries Fountain sportsground taken by professional photographers.
Members of the public are being encouraged to submit their personal photos to the research team so that their memories can become part of the programme.
"It doesn't matter if you were just standing in the crowd.
"Contact us and let us use your pictures," said Rosenberg.
Seelan Archary, the spokesman of the 1860 Commemoration Council, said news of the donation was a positive outcome after all the hard work by Rosenberg and his team of researchers over the past three years.
The council has been working with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the KwaZulu-Natal Legacy Foundation to have Curries Fountain declared a national monument.
Archary said he was happy the project was receiving recognition.
"It is a measure of good fortune, and it can only go well for the development," he said.
He added the donation did not affect his organisation's plans.
"We still want to get it declared a historic site by December 1.
"We just needed to get the history sorted out, and certainly Len and his team have contributed to this."
Durban University of Technology's acting vice-chancellor, Professor Nqabomzi Gawe, said: "The university is proud to be the recipients of this considerable financial sponsorship.
"The financing of the heritage projects will ensure that the restoration project is completed timeously and that the academic programme will continue as scheduled.
"As Durban residents, staff and students, we are proud that the historic essence and architectural design could be preserved and celebrated."
User Login
