Page 22 - Bulletin 18 2014

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two birds with one stone: Wynberg would avoid reliance on Cape Town and the KB-MM

would have a more viable scheme.

John was very involved in these negotiations and he chaired a well-attended public meeting
held at the English Church School Room in Kalk Bay on the 6th of December 1911 where the

proposed scheme was discussed. Central to the proposal were the implications for local
ratepayers of the £4 500 loan that would be needed to build a power line to Wynberg. There

was far more to it than this. The Cape Peninsula Lighting Co. had also tendered to supply

Wynberg with electricity and the meeting was loaded with its shareholders. If the KB-MM
succeeded with its scheme these shareholders stood to lose a lot of money. The meeting was

long and fractious with heated debate from the floor. A concerted campaign, started at this

meeting, supported by newspaper articles quoting ‘experts’ who said the Muizenberg –
Wynberg scheme could not be viable, ensured that the pressure was intense for John and his

Councillors.

As Mayor, John was presiding officer when the votes of the KB-MM ratepayers on the loan
necessary to implement the scheme were counted in December 1911. Given his continuing

ties to Wynberg John must have been very frustrated when local ratepayers voted against the

proposal. The scheme was finally put in place in January 1913 with Wynberg bearing the cost
of a very expensive power line built from Muizenberg to Wynberg’s substation in Electric

Road.

To give some idea of just how busy the last two years of the KB-MM were, and the strain this
must have put on John Delbridge as Mayor, the major events of this period are listed below:

 Muizenberg Pavilion 1911. Tenders were called for and a major extension to the
existing pavilion was designed by John’s son – the architect William John Delbridge,

and built by John’s brother William (see below). It was officially opened on the 16th

December 1911 by Sir Frederic de Waal, Administrator of the Cape, accompanied by
Lady de Waal and numerous dignitaries. (Figs. 1.15 & 1.16.)

 Muizenberg Post Office 1911. This was completed in 1911 by William Delbridge and

opened with suitable fanfare. (Fig. 1.17.)