Valuables lost in popular café loses flooding

The café owner, Lamé Ebersohn, is pleading with the public works department to intervene. She said water pipes under the 106-year-old historic building near Church Square started leaking six years ago, Rekord East reported.

“After enquiring with the department, we were told that some of the pipes under the building were not functioning properly, causing occasional leaks. Some time ago they were stolen,” Ebersohn said.

“But suddenly we started experiencing leaks that would be over 15cm high, but this one was just over 2m. It is a mess,” Ebersohn added.

Some of the items destroyed by the flooding include office furniture, important documents, stock and a guest log book.

“The guest log book is of importance because we let the famous guests who have walked through our doors sign it,” she said.

Some of the guests that have graced the bar with their presence include former president Thabo Mbeki, ambassadors from different countries and international celebrities. Ebersohn said they could not fix the water pipes themselves and the department should do something.

“Departmental directors come and go, but nothing is being done. We have decided to involve alternative forums of communication to the department because this is a national heritage site and it is their responsibility to look at it.”

She says if things go on this way, the place will have to close down.

– Caxton News Service