Demolition of the Athlone Towers, once described as the surveyor’s beacons marking the dividing lines of apartheid in Cape Town, is scheduled for 22 August 2010.  As I drove past the towers about 5 weeks ago I envisaged the huge impact of the demolition. Being a community developer I immediately saw the symbolism for our communities and our Nation of this specific  demolition. It made me think of the fall of the Berlin wall. 

As I arrived back at my office on that day I quickly put together this image and realized the powerful message in it.

As founder of Proud2b.org Community Development and Proud2stand2gether Forum [for Community Development organizations and individuals] I have since been communicating, with success, this concept and message to

• many community development organizations
• Department of Social Development [Minister Ivan Meyer instructed a special committee to meet with me]
• Department of Community Safety [Minister Lennit Max instructed Dr Lawrence – Head of Department – to meet with me]
• Department of Education [I have met with Minister Donald Grant]
• Premiers office
• City of Cape Town
• Pri-Media [who wants to do a Outside Broadcast and countdown with the community and Proud2b.org]

Everyone agree that it is a great opportunity to symbolize the demolition of bad habits such as gansterism, substance abuse, violent crime, xenophobia, racism and more, that is in effect demolishing our homes and communities right now. With courage and determination Proud2b managed to get all needed role-players on-board to execute this exciting initiative. The only missing link at this stage is the go-ahead from City of Cape Town, the owners of the towers. We are just not able to get them to commit as it seems like no one knows who should or could give the go-ahead.Once we have the go-ahead I know we can get the sponsors on board to donate what is necessary. We have managed to find two crane companies who confirmed that their equipment can do the job required. We have also got a Construction and Project Management company ready to do the paintwork of the words on the towers. They are all 100% sure that it is all very do-able. No one needs to climb on the towers as we acknowledge the danger of it at this point.

This Let’s stand 2gether 2 demolish the bad habits in our communities projectinitiative is a huge opportunity for our City and our Nation and how better to show our communities the example of standing together by partnering as Community Development Organizations, media, City of Cape Town and Government Departments in this positive transformation initiative. Although this is happening in Cape Town we encourage that this message is adopted by our Nation due to the impact, publicity and exposure this SUSTAINABLE project can generate. 

Department of Social Development, Department of Community Safety and Department of Education are very excited and would love to join around the table to talk about the sustainable project that will follow the DAY WE DECLARE TO DEMOLISH THE BAD HABITS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. The demolition of bad habits campaign is just the launching pad for a long-term project which we are looking at rolling out within the communities. [I can give you more info on request]

With reference to 22 August 2010 – the date set for demolition of the towers. Just a though - and it actually came as a suggestion from the community I met with around the Athlone towers. Heritage day is coming up on 24 September 2010. We all know that we as a Nation are struggling to identify together with a positive heritage which should be a heritage of moral uprightness.

[a]The towers have always been a symbol of apartheid and

[b] Kewtown is one of the major areas where gangsterism started.

 Racism, xenophobia and gansterism are demolition our Nation and this is a perfect opportunity to turn the cards around to say that we as a Nation declare to demolish those bad habits. As a Nation we therefore declare to create, live and leave a legacy of UNITY! So the suggestion from the community is to look at the possibility of moving this event to HERITAGE DAY. They felt that the message is so strong and impactful and that  more tangible to pass from one generation to another.

Proud2stand2gether Forum in partnership with Century Film School are also launching, together with the tower project, a series of Documentaries where we will be empowering and skill develop youth in these communities to film and produce the progress, impact and sustainability, the stories as documentaries in their words and language.

Let’s not allow our Nation to let go of this amazing POSITIVE spirit we are experiencing at the moment after the very successful World Cup Soccer. WE ARE ENCOURAGING OUR NATION TO KEEP OUR EYES ON THE BALL by standing 2gether in positive transformation. Not ONE person or ONE organization is going to change our country to become a non-violent, safer & more integrated home for our children & our children’s children. We need to stand together in positive transformation. There is never a better time than NOW!