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level to grant a local authority the powers to first purchase and then manage Smith’s Farm as
a nature reserve, caused the Divisional Council to call an urgent special meeting on
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November 28 . In answer to Councilor Pearce, questioning the need for a special meeting to
discuss this matter before the City Council had made a decision, the Chairman of Council
stated that, “if they [the Divisional Council] passed a resolution that they would share in the
purchase of the property…. it would help the City Council in debating and deliberating on the
proposal” (105) . Clearly Mr. Duminy wanted there to be no question on the part of the other
local authorities or the general public, that the Divisional Council was unwavering in its
commitment to this initiative. After discussion of the recent decision by the City Council
General Purposes Committee it was then moved by Councilor Starke to pass the following
resolution, seconded by Councilor Gill, and finally resolved by Council:

1. That the Council hereby records its approval of the proposed purchase of the
Cape Point Farm for purposes of a nature reserve and public recreation area, the
purchase to be financed upon a mutually acceptable basis by the Cape Town City
Council, the Simon’s Town Municipal Council and the Divisional Council of the
Cape.

2. That in the event of the proposed purchase of the farm by the three bodies
mentioned not materializing the Council appoints a sub-committee to further
investigate the question of acquiring the property and to report (106) .

This decision on the part of the Divisional Council notwithstanding, the Cape Argus reported
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on November 30 , that the, “Cape Town City Council yesterday decided by 31 votes to 6, not
to take any action with the object of acquiring Smith’s Farm Cape Point, and preserving it as
a nature reserve.”

Down but not out!

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While the City Council decision of November 29 was a blow, particularly to the Mayor of
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Cape Town, the proponents of this initiative were not about to give up. On December 1 the
Municipality of Simon’s Town Mayor and Councillors, in contrast to the City Council, voted
to “strongly endorse” the proposal to acquire and develop Cape Point as a public nature
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reserve. Then on December 5 , the Chairman of the Divisional Council and Secretary Owen
met with the Administrator of the Cape, J. H. Conradie, to determine whether or not the

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