Page 89 - KBHA BULLETIN 5

86

1909 it had all but bankrupted the Municipality. Ambitious as it was, it was a financial disaster,

and but for additional “rescue” loans it would have never been completed under the auspices of

the Kalk Bay Municipality.

The problems the scheme confronted were enormous, and included among others the insolvency
of the Main Contractor, the firing of the Municipal Engineer in charge of the scheme, the

encountering of solid bedrock between Leighton and Quarterdeck Road, and the blasting of this

bedrock which damaged many local homes for which the Council were held responsible.

After the main contractor’s insolvency (which was mainly due to his incorrect pricing
calculations in the bedrock areas) new contractors, wary of falling into the same error, priced

excessively higher than budget. This left the Council in dire financial straits with an incomplete

job. They had to revert to subcontracting sections of the work, and sometimes were unable to
meet contractor's claims. This happened especially towards the end of the contract and litigation,

another expensive exercise, ensued.

The route of the sewage pipes followed that of the Main Road, which meant that for nearly five
years, some sections of the Main Road were “closed for construction”. When the side roads were

dug up in conjunction with the Main Road major flooding occurred in some houses, and again

the Council were held responsible and had to “foot the bill”.
.

Tensions among councillors and ratepayers grew almost daily. The mayor even proposed the
dismissal of the Council’s Solicitor (he later withdrew this proposal), but these were indeed

trying times. Long delays in the delivery of equipment from England for the Royal Road Power

Station in Muizenberg were experienced, and only added to the problems especially as, on
arrival, some of the steam pipes, having been made to the wrong specification, did not fit. Re-

ordering meant further delays.

The financial implications of council overspending on this scheme had far-reaching implications,

as other important undertakings such as the construction of the Muizenberg Beach Pavilion, and

86