BERGVLIET / MEADOWRIDGE RATEPAYERS’ ASSOCIATION HISTORY

JUNE 1947  –  APRIL 2022

Compiled by Winifred E Craythorne

Assisted by Neville D Postings

(1987 – 1997)

INTRODUCTION

What has been compiled in this Booklet is but the tip of an iceberg as to the work of the Association over the last 75 years.

During the first thirty years or so, the Association, with the valuable assistance of the Divisional Council officials and Councillors and later the officials and Ward Councillors of the City of Cape Town Municipality, was responsible for the development of the suburbs, especially Bergvliet. Meadowridge had the privilege of Garden Cities laying the foundation on which the Association and eager, energetic residents of Meadowridge built a beautiful, stable and peaceful lifestyle suburb.

Before the 1996 local government elections, the Ward Councillors worked harmoniously with the Association as friends and supported beneficial proposals at Council Meetings for decisions.

The dispensation changed drastically after the 1996 local government elections in that Ward Councilors were chosen as political party representatives thus making their allegiance to obey their political party and caucus decisions a priority.

At the AGM of this Association held on 2 November 1992, Ald Bronnie Harding, in her address to the meeting, said that she always felt over the years that Council Committee decisions were made by people with no local knowledge and hoped that future local government would provide areas where the local population would have a say in their own affairs. However, despite the process of public participation now being a requirement, Ald Harding’s hope had not been fulfilled: comments and recommendations from this Association are more often than not, being overruled and decisions made by people with no local knowledge.

BERGVLIET / MEADOWRIDGE RATEPAYERS’ ASSOCIATION

BERGVLIET AND MEADOWRIDGE HISTORY

The Divisional Council of the Cape : Origins

The Divisional Council of the Cape has its origins deep in the roots of the history of South Africa. When the Dutch colonized the Cape, they brought with them the system of landdrost and heemraden. The landdrost was an official who represented the Colonial authorities, while the heemraden were local burghers, at first appointed by the authorities and later elected by the people of the district.

The landdrost and heemraden operated collegially, and the landdrost had wider functions then than local authorities have today – for example, he had policing, military and judicial functions in addition to local government functions. When one talks of local government, the services rendered in the 19th century were a far cry from today’s sophisticated and diverse services. In those days people and local communities were mainly concerned with roads, elementary public health, water, markets and public safety.

After the second British occupation the landdrost and heemraden system continued as it was British policy to allow local institutions to continue until changed in the course of time. However, as time passed it became ever more apparent that landdrosten and heemraden and road and other boards were not suitable to meet the needs of growing communities and receding frontiers. The Colonial Government passed Act 5 of 1855 which was the constitutional foundation of the divisional council system, which applied throughout the Cape Colony except in the then Transkei.

On 10 July 1855 by Proclamation of 1855, the Governor, Sir George Gray, established the Divisions of the Cape, Caledon, Malmesbury and Paarl. The functions of divisional councils at that time were concerned with roads, schools, pounds, trespassing and the internal defence of the respective divisions. The Cape Division was divided into Districts which in turn were subdivided into Field-Cornetcies of which Constantia was part of District No 2.

The first Chairman of the Divisional Council, analogous to a Mayor of a municipality was Mr P V Borcherds and the first meeting of the Divisional Council took place on 8 October 1855.

In a 1966 Report by Dr W J Slater (known as The Slater Report) to the then Administrator of the Cape, he referred to the Divisional Council of the Cape as the Mother of Municipalities.

SHORT RURAL HISTORY OF BERGVLIET AND MEADOWRIDGE

Constantia, approximately 763 hectares in extent, was originally granted to Governor Simon van der Stel in 1685 by The Lord of Mydrecht, Barton van Rheede van Drakenstein During the 18th and 19th Centuries, the estate was divided into six farms on each of which five houses were eventually to be built. The farms were named:

Groot Constantia
Klein Constantia I, later renamed Hoop op Constantia
Bergvliet
Klein Constantia II
Hoogte Constantia, and
Constantia Valley

In 1716, Isaac Scheepers and Jan Brommaert, in partnership, acquired Bergvliet (405 hectares) and a portion of Klein Constantia (117 hectares). Jan Brommaert eventually became sole owner. The farm then passed through a number of hands, eventually being bought in 1769 by Petrus Eksteen. The farm remained in the family until 1830 and a portion was owned by relatives of the Eksteens for a further 80 odd years. As an American lady in 1834 wrote “between Kirstenbosch and Cape Town, and for many miles around in every direction, there is no one but Cloetes and Eksteens”.

There appears to have been no homestead on Bergvliet prior to its acquisition by Petrus Eksteen. He built a house in, or shortly after 1769, known as the Bergvliet Manor House in the vicinity of the perennial spring, Die Oog. In the 1980’s the homestead was considerably altered and in 1989 the Bergvliet Manor House was proclaimed a National Monument and later declared a Provincial Heritage Site Grade II. The name of the Eksteen family lives on in Eksteen Avenue, Bergvliet.

In 1830, the then owner, Hendrik Oostwald Eksteen, who also held the quitrent grant to Sweet Valley, went bankrupt. The farm was cut up into 4 pieces and sold, the new owners being Eksteen’s cousin, J P Eksteen, L J Colyn and Thomas Dreyer (from hence the name Dreyersdal originated).

In 1865, William Frederick Hertzog, a relative of Eksteen and also of General Hertzog who was to become South Africa’s third Prime Minister, acquired Eksteen’s portions of Bergvliet and Sweet Valley and on his death in 1902 the estate passed to his sisters, Mrs S Purcell and Mrs A Jeffcoat. Dr Purcell, son of Mrs S Purcell, managed the estate on behalf of his mother and aunt between 1902 and 1919 during which period he began to survey the flora of Bergvliet, Kreupelbosch and Longueville. Mr Jeffcoat and Mr Hertzog’s names are commemorated by Jeffcoat Avenue and Hertzog Road in

Bergvliet. The name of Hiddingh Road in Bergvliet may be in memory of the wife of Willem Fredrik Hertzog (1792-1847) who had married Susanna Cornelia Hiddingh. Following the death of Dr Purcell in 1919, the Rev W Jeffcoat assumed stewardship of the farm on behalf of his family. In about 1930 the farm was again divided, the Jeffcoats acquiring Bergvliet and the upper or northern portion of Kreupelbosch going to the Purcell descendents.

This marked the end of the rural phase in the history of the estate …
.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE >>>

CLICK HERE for newsletter on Craythorne Lane in honour of Dr Donald Craythorne & his wife Winnie

CLICK HERE to read article on Craythornes honoured for their civic service
.

POSTERS

CLICK ON THE POSTER IMAGES BELOW TO VIEW THE PDF POSTERS