BEACONS REMOVED

Residents of Gordon's Bay are not happy with a local resident who thought he was doing a good deed. The person had the town's twin beacons removed last week, believing their state of disrepair did more harm than good to the town's image. The beacons were once used for navigation by ships and were well-known landmarks. The South African Navy's hydrographic division in Silvermine was approached to have the beacons removed. They were erected in the early 1960s by the Navy to assist ships with anchorage, but the beacons were rarely used because the sandy basin wasn't adequate to hold an anchor in place. Before they were removed, the Navy checked with the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) whether the beacons were protected. As they were not older than 60 years, their removal did not require any action.