Cape Cenotaph War Memorial on the move

The City of Cape Town has been given the go-ahead by Heritage Western Cape (HWC) to relocate the Cenotaph from Adderley Street to the Heerengracht at the intersection with Hertzog Boulevard.
ts new position will make it far more accessible to members of the public, while certain original design elements of the monument that have been removed or changed over the years will be restored. The move will allow space for the construction of a new MyCiTi bus station on Adderley Street.
Heritage Western Cape approved the move on 22 March 2013, subject to a two-week appeal period, which was concluded this week.
“The approval follows almost two years of engagement with heritage authorities, military and veterans’ organisations, cultural historians and members of the public,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Roads and Stormwater, Councillor Brett Herron.
Starting later this month, the Cenotaph will be very carefully deconstructed and moved to a new site further down Adderley Street as-is, in time for the Remembrance Day commemoration in November.
Along with its approval of the move, HWC released a comprehensive Heritage Impact Assessment Report based on the public participation process that was followed. This process included initial comments from civic and professional organisations, two publically-advertised comment periods, and meetings with selected stakeholders.
HWC ruled that the relocation can continue on condition that:
The Cenotaph’s status as an object within the central city and on the Adderley Streey axis be upgraded to Grade II;
The dismantling should be subject to the submission of a photographic record of the Cenotaph in its present state;
The dismantling and re-erection shall be carried out by appropriately qualified professionals, subject to HWC’s approval.
Once the Cenotaph has been carefully moved to its new location, the City will start the construction of a new closed MyCiTi feeder station on the road median in the middle of Adderley Street, between the Fountain Circle and Riebeeck Street.
As part of its approval for the move of the Cenotaph, HWC also gave certain requirements for the look and feel of this new station.
“The City is confident that the new location of the Cenotaph will make this monument far more accessible to members of the public as well as for remembrance ceremonies,” said Councillor Herron.