Page 108 - Bulletin 18 2014

105

The Suburban Municipalities cling to Independence

The Cape was not distinguished by the progressive thinking of its elected representatives. On
the contrary, most were only concerned with local interests – that meant keeping down the

rates and building for display. The fact that there was an inordinately high mortality rate,

largely because of poor sanitation, was beside the point. The evidence of the Commission
makes it very clear what the main problem was. Above all, councillors felt that their local

interests would be swamped in a larger organisation. There had already been one
unsuccessful attempt at amalgamation in 1882, when the Liesbeeck Municipality was created

but this had only lasted until 1886. As Samuel Tonkin, who represented Mowbray, the least
viable of the municipalities, explained:

“I think it would have worked if it had gone on, although as far as Mowbray is

concerned it benefited very considerably by the change. They hardly did anything for
us, which was the same thing when we were a portion of Rondebosch, and we only

made headway when we became a Municipality ourselves.” (G21-1902, vol 2, p. 67.)

Woodstock fiercely resisted incorporation and Wynberg held similar views. The problem
with the Liesbeeck Municipality, councillors explained, was that:

“If a Wynberg matter cropped up on a large body, of which Wynberg was but a small
part, we would have no guarantee whatsoever, that the whole of the Council would

be friendly disposed to Wynberg, and our representative might be out-voted. In that

way a matter of great importance to Wynberg would be shelved.” (G21-1902, vol 2,
p. 351.)

W. P. Schreiner, the ex-prime minister, recognised that giant Cape Town threatened the
minnows who feared that they would be ‘blotted out’ by the metropolis. Even Camps Bay,

then being developed by the Cape Marine Suburbs Ltd., wanted to avoid such a fate. Their

lawyer, R. P. L. Wahl, explained that Camps Bay would only be landed with the debts of the
other municipalities; these would have no interest in providing the ‘constant hand and ever